#I had to stop reading and forgot too much to resume where I left off...

[vulpisnocturna]

Bloodstained Rubies - Chapter 1 - Snare

Not sure if I’m going to cross post here as well, but I’ll post the first chapter… in case I only continue it on AO3, this is the link

Chapter II

I do not condone this behaviour in real life. This is fictional. Please take care, read the warnings and avoid if you think this content may be triggering to you.

Warnings: Yandere Chrollo, Stalking, Kidnapping, Obssessive Love, Possessiveness, Jealousy, Drugging, Breaking and entering (Chrollo out here committing all the felonies)

Word Count: 5k

The rain had seeped into the cracks of the cobbled alleyway, rendering the stone slippery, dampening the aged brick walls caging the narrow passage, darkening the view even more. Straining eyes could only make out bulbous orange glows of faraway street lights, legs numbed from the cold autumnal air and unrelenting rainfall toiling to keep a rapid pace and avoid slipping on the damp stones.

Slowing down was not an option. Neither was turning back and choosing a different path. Over the sound of the roaring rain, soft footsteps could be heard, not too far away. Growing closer. Or perhaps it was a mere figment of an imagination much too vivid and active, and the danger was only the product of a life of warnings and cautionary tales. Like a monster under the bed.

Thirty steps. Thirty steps to the safety of the main street. Breath puffing in clouds of haze, raindrops adorning lashes, hair sticking to the skin, knees weak and unsteady.

Twenty.

It was closer now. Almost real.

Ten.

Almost tangible, close enough that the alleyway seemed to lengthen, dilating, making the main road impossible to reach. One slip on the damp cobblestones could spell demise.

Five.

The light was closer. People could be seen walking through the street, carrying umbrellas or hurrying through the rain. Safety.

One.

You inhaled sharply, your heart thundering in your ribcage, the sounds of the bustling street filling your ears, enveloping your heaving chest in relief. People walked by you, and you blended with the crowd, heading to the station. You had walked that alleyway a thousand times, and you’d never felt that dread, that feeling of being hunted. Targeted. Your bones had turned into ice in your body.

You had never been particularly impressionable, but in the last couple of weeks, you’d felt watched. But when you turned towards the alleyway, your eyes wandering around the street behind you, there was no one. You shook off the horrible feeling in your gut that told you to run and hide, and sought refuge in the warm underground station, tapping your phone at the gates and descending the stairs. No one was behind you. No one was out to get you. You were safe. You were going to go home and make yourself a cup of tea before you went to bed early.

You got on the train, sitting in a fairly crowded carriage, taking out Pride and Prejudice from your bag and resuming from where you had left off that morning. It was one of your favourite books, and you had read it dozens of times, but you still got some nostalgia for it from time to time.

The minutes passed, and you forgot all about your gut feeling in the alleyway, your mind immersed in the world of Elizabeth Bennett and her witty quips that always made you smile. She almost made you lose track of the stops, but luckily, you heard the announcement and stood up, hastily putting the bookmark at the page you had reached and hurrying to the platform.

Luckily, you lived a mere two minutes from the station, in the outskirts of the city, where trains could be heard even with the windows shut and the curtains drawn, but at least, you could afford your own place. It wasn’t all that bad, truly. It was a small house, reminiscent of a cottage with its brick walls and small rooms, and its low ceilings. It was cosy, covered with plants and books, it even had a small fireplace that was your pride and joy. You’d filled it with pillows, blankets and trinkets that had caught your eye in thrift shops and fair markets. You locked the door behind you, taking off your drenched coat and your damp boots, hating the feeling of wet socks clinging to your feet. You took them off too, deciding to have a hot shower before bed.

You had finished late at work, to the point where your boss had offered to get you some dinner, and you had gladly accepted, blinking your tired eyes at the computer screen to stay awake.

You were overworked and underpaid, but you needed that job desperately, and therefore, you made it a habit to gamble more unpaid hours for a more stable future. With the hope that one day, your hard work would pay off, and you’d get a promotion. So far, you’d been unsuccessful.

However, the week was now done, and you prepared yourself for a free day of peace. Saturdays were your favourite days. You usually tried to get up before nine, so that you could make the most of them. You made pancakes, went for a walk to the park next to your house, bought lunch at the quaint brunch stall by the lake and on good days, you ate under the weeping willow on the shore, basking in the sight of the tree branches swaying on the surface of the water, the water lilies crowding the shore and the sunlight reflecting on the lake. After that, you headed to the library in the city centre, where you would have spent all day if you could. You usually visited the market before you went home, and then, you would watch a film and head to bed later than usual. Sundays were your cleaning days usually, unless you wanted to meet up with a friend or needed to run errands.

You had no idea that Saturday would be the last chance for you to experience all those things.

The library was quiet that day, even though the rain had continued to pour down the city since Friday morning and people usually flocked there or to the museums and cinemas when it was gloomy outside. In your opinion, it was the best time to be at the library: the big, arched windows of the upper floor offered a scenic view of the storm brewing outside, and the warmth of the orange lights and the mahogany bookshelves of the antique library made you feel cosy. You were sitting on a plush green armchair, your favourite spot in the corner of the upper floor, right by the window and the classics section. Something about the smell of the old books that were gathered there offered you comfort.

‘Excuse me, miss’ you heard a soft, masculine voice say, timbre smooth and rich. You lifted your eyes from your book, looking at the man in front of you. Your stomach dropped for a second, and you swallowed, trying not to stare. He was around your age, perhaps a few years older, and the most attractive man you had ever seen in your life. His lean, tall build was highlighted by smart black trousers, a simple maroon jumper and a long, black coat. Round, slightly upturned grey eyes sat in a face of sharp cheekbones, angular jaw, delicate and yet masculine nose and well-defined lips stretched into a slight smile. He was wearing an odd bandana of sorts on his forehead, but it did nothing to dampen his looks. Shoulder-length black hair fell in unruly strands around his neck and shorter bangs that covered parts of his forehead, and round turquoise earrings shone on his ears, the bright hues contrasting against the beautiful dark hair.

‘Uhm- yes?’ you murmured, righting your posture a little under his gaze.

‘I was wondering if you dropped this bracelet by any chance’ he said, lifting a hand, your gold bracelet dangling from his tapered, willowy fingers. You glanced at your wrist, clearing your throat.

‘Yeah- yes, thank you, that’s mine’ you said, holding the book with one hand and lifting yourself up, extending your hand. Instead of giving it to you, he held your hand and wrapped it around your wrist, clasping it and giving you a smile. Your breath threatened to falter, and you were almost hypnotised by him as he gave one last stroke to the back of your hand before he let it go.

‘There. Should be safe from slipping now’ he said, and you noticed he was holding a book in his hand. The Picture of Dorian Gray, one of your favourite books. So not only was he handsome, he also had good taste.

‘Thank you’ you said again, smiling at him. He nodded.

‘I’m Chrollo’ he said, extending a hand. You shook it, giving him your name in return, and he said it himself, as though he was weighing it on his tongue. It sounded good in his voice. Soft, like a gentle caress on your spine. It made shivers run down your spine.

‘I’ve never seen you here before’ you said conversationally, hoping your social skills hadn’t been too hindered by your nervousness around someone so attractive and charming speaking to you.

‘This is my first time visiting this library, actually. I have only recently moved here, and I happened to walk by and see this building, and I had to visit it. It is truly beautiful here. A very pleasant place to read in peace’ he said, and you nodded along. He was so like you, you thought the same of this library. It was your special place in this city.

‘I feel the same way. I come here every Saturday, just to escape the daily life for a while. How are you finding the city? Are you here for work?’ you asked, finding yourself drawn to that stranger for some reason. There was something fascinating about him, something enigmatic. Or perhaps it was just the way his grey eyes seemed so intense, as though he could read your mind. He was like a lead character in a book.

‘I am. The city centre is quite beautiful architecturally, but I haven’t had the chance to partake in much sightseeing’ he said, ‘and you? Why are you here? Work, or is this the city you grew up in?’

‘No, I grew up in a very small town you probably never heard of. A boring place. I came here to find some work a couple of years ago’ you said, hoping that before the conversation ended, you could get his number. You hadn’t been in the dating scene for a while, and though you were busy, this stranger was just too intriguing. He seemed so intelligent, soft-spoken and genuinely interested in you.

‘I see. I’m afraid I must take my leave now. Allow me to buy you a coffee before that’ he said, putting down the book in a basket by the banister. Your stomach felt warm, and you chuckled nervously, finding it hard to keep eye contact when he was staring at you so intently.

‘Oh, no, you’ve already found my bracelet, I wouldn’t want to keep you. Besides, the prices here are outrageous’ you stammered. Did he like you? Was he truly... flirting with you? This was more like a scene out of a romance book rather than real life.

‘Please, I insist’ he smiled, and you could not say no.

‘Oh, well... thank you. That’s really kind of you’ you said, following him towards the stairs. Chrollo’s eyes softened, and he shook his head.

‘It’s my pleasure’ he only said, smoothly, nonchalantly, as he started to descend the stairs, with you following close.

The cafeteria was placed near the entrance, and you had always deemed it too expensive as a treat. But Chrollo did not even have a change in expression as his eyes followed the menu on the chalkboard on the wall.

‘What would you like?’ he asked, and you eyed the drinks and the corresponding prices, gaze trailing to seek the cheapest one.

‘Uhm... just a coffee would be fine, thank you’ you said hesitantly. He let out a soft sigh.

‘I would not offer it to you if I could not afford it. What would you really like?’ he asked, a sly smirk on his face. Your cheeks felt hot, and you smoothed the front of your jumper in an attempt to calm the embarrassment of him calling you out.

‘A chai latte, please’ you murmured, and he nodded, seemingly pleased as he made his way to the till and took out a black leather wallet from the pocket of his coat. When he came back, he was holding your drink along with his. From the smell, it was black coffee. Quite in tune with his gothic appearance.

‘Thank you, Chrollo’ you smiled at him, holding the cup with both hands when he handed it to you, warming your cold fingers.

‘It was a pleasure to talk to you. I hope to see you again soon’ he said, standing closer to you, his fingers reaching to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind your ear. You didn’t realise you were holding your breath until he stepped away.

‘Me too’ you murmured, earning another slight smile from him as he walked away, sipping his coffee and disappearing behind the corner that led to the exit.

You smiled, fingertips reaching to your cheek, the skin feeling warm where he had touched you.

You found you could not wait until the next Saturday, hoping he would remember that you’d said you’d be there and visit the library again.

Your Sunday was spent running errands, getting a haircut, visiting your friend who was in the hospital following a fall from the stairs that had resulted in two broken legs and a concussion. He was quite optimistic despite saying that he had had no idea how he’d fallen, that he’d just felt pain on his nape and then he had lost consciousness. When he’d woken up, his legs were horribly broken and bent as he had fallen from a flight of stairs.

You’d just seen him the day of the accident in the morning, and he had seemed fine, not dizzy or anything. Although he’d been reminiscing about a crush he’d had on you years ago, which to you was odd, as you had had no idea he had ever liked you.

Nevertheless, the doctors had said he’d been lucky to survive because his head trauma was nothing short of dangerous. You were just glad he was in good spirits and looking forward to getting better.

You smiled slightly, turning the keys to your door and stepping in, holding the letters you hadn’t yet opened as you walked into the living room.

The first one was your electricity bill, the second one a useless letter of invite to a neighbourhood church meeting-

‘Hello, darling’

You let out a scream, your heart skipping a beat as you spun around, the letters falling to the ground, and your terrified eyes set on the man who was lounging on your sofa, sipping a cup of tea from your favourite mug.

Chrollo.

It was Chrollo. The guy whom you’d met the day before. The kind, handsome man who’d found your bracelet and offered to buy you a coffee.

‘W-what are you doing here? How do you know where I live? How did you get in?’ you stuttered, taking a trembling step back. He took another sip, setting your mug down.

‘I came to visit you. You have a very flimsy lock, it’s very unsafe’ he said calmly, as though his words were not completely insane. He’d broken into your house? Was he- a stalker? The presence you’d felt in the alleyway… was that him?

You felt nausea coil in your gut, making your head spin with fear and horror.

Another step back. His eyes were on you. Calm, unfazed. He was smiling slightly, as though amused. But he was sitting, and you were less than ten feet away from the door. But it was locked. You needed time. At least a few seconds of advantage.

Your phone. You would call the police whilst you talked to him. But your phone was in the hallway. Not with you.

‘Chrollo- please go away’ you tried pleadingly, hoping it would make him spare you. It did not.

‘There is no need to worry. I won’t hurt you, darling’ he said, voice soft and sweet. You shivered, and when you saw he was taking another sip of his coffee, you bolted to the door.

Your fingers had barely managed to graze the keys when he appeared in front of you, blocking the door, clucking his tongue against his teeth. How had he managed to get there so quickly? What was he going to do to you?

The kitchen. You needed to get to the back door. Maybe grab a knife and stab him.

‘Now, now, this would be much easier if you just listened’ he said, but you did not wait for him to grab you. You made a beeline for the kitchen, and you had almost reached the handle when he once again appeared in front of you. You flinched, stumbling back, spinning to the counter and grabbing a large knife. Chrollo let out a soft laugh.

‘Oh, darling. I admire your efforts, but that won’t help you. Put it down’ he said easily, one hand in his pocket as he approached you. You swallowed heavily, cold sweat clinging to your spine as your fingers tightened around the handle until you thought you could feel welts stinging your skin.

You could hear the hammering of your heart in your ears, the heavy sound of your panting.

When he took another step, you swung at his stomach. Your wrist was caught in an iron grip, and you hissed in pain, your fingers loosening instinctively until the knife clattered to the ground.

Your eyes burnt with tears, and you tried to punch him, which only resulted in your other hand being caught. Thrashing wildly, like a caged animal, you kicked and pulled to no avail.

Chrollo was too strong. Inhumanly so. He was like a brick wall, completely unfazed by your attempts at escaping or hitting him.

‘Let me go! Let me go!’ you screamed your lungs out, until one of his hands lifted to cover your mouth and he pushed you against the wall, trapping you against it.

‘Shh, shh. You are being such a brat, my love. This is all futile, can’t you see? Where’s the sweet girl I met yesterday? The one who could not stop blushing and smiling at me?’ he asked against your ear, pushing his body more into you. Your eyes widened as you felt a hard bulge against your backside.

No. No, no, no. This could not be happening. Not to you. Not here. This was your safe haven. Your home.

You screamed, sounds muffled by his hand, and he let out a sigh.

‘You have nothing to fear. I don’t plan on acting on my desires as of yet. However, your defiance is starting to irritate me. I’m going to have to take more drastic measures’ he said, and you felt his hand leave your mouth briefly and return pushing a cloth to your mouth and nose. Your heartbeat shot up as panic gripped your stomach, and you held your breath, kicking and thrashing, unable to get him off you until you had to breathe in that sweet-smelling scent. He held it there for a few seconds, and your head immediately started spinning, your ears starting to ring.

‘I’m truly sorry to have to do this, darling. If you’d been compliant, I wouldn’t have had to knock you unconscious’ he said, and your legs wobbled when he pulled it away, to the point where they could not hold your weight and you slumped to the ground. He caught you, holding you against him, and even though you tried to fight back, to push him away, your body was limp and it would not do what you wanted it to.

‘What… did you give me?’ you breathed, vision blurry, your body completely numb. He pushed away the strands of hair from your face, stroking your cheek.

‘Shh. Just an incapacitating agent. This will make you sleep for a few hours. Close your eyes, my love. You must be so tired after all that screaming and thrashing. You can rest now, I’ll watch over you’ he said gently, and you blinked slowly, trying to see him through the dark splotches in your field of view, trying to curse him, to beg him to leave, but your mouth would not move anymore. Soon, the darkness pulled you in and made you its prisoner.

Chrollo smiled, stroking your soft hair, tracing the skin of your jaw and lips. He hadn’t been able to hold himself any longer after having made contact with you. He’d first seen you a month earlier, in that picturesque library where you were curled on a green armchair, completely spellbound as you read Pride and Prejudice in front of an arched window. He had been entranced from the first moment he’d seen you. It wasn’t just your appearance, though he was convinced there was no woman more beautiful than you were, but your mannerisms, your soft smiles as you read specific lines, the way your eyebrows furrowed when you were concentrating, the natural innocence that radiated from you, that had been what had truly ensnared him. That moment, he’d decided that he needed to know everything about you, from your hobbies to your favourite colour to your life story.

He had never fallen in love, but the feeling that had bloomed in his cold heart must have been love: it was desperate, all-consuming, and yet so gentle and calming. It burnt and soothed his soul at the same time. Images of you plagued his every second, and he could think of nothing but to have you all to himself. Why should the world be allowed to benefit from your presence? Why should people be allowed to leer at you, desire you, want you for themselves? He wanted all of you to be consumed by him just as every part of him was consumed by you. He did not want to share your affection with anyone else.

He had followed you home many times, making sure you were safe. After all, you didn’t even know how to use Nen. You were so delicate, like turquoise and amber gemstones. So beautiful, yet so easily broken. With his new love for you came a heart-wrenching fear of losing you: in a world like that, you could never protect yourself. Only he could offer you enough safety.

Despite being a normal civilian, your intuition and gut feeling was impressive. Sometimes, he had to rely on Zetsu in order to avoid being sensed by you. You had a keen sense of danger. Not that it would help you.

Your house was little, much too inadequate and meagre for someone who deserved the most beautiful things the world had to offer. But you would not have to live in this dingy neighbourhood, with the train tracks so close to your windows, for much longer. Despite the grimy neighbourhood, your cottage was cosy. Decorated with everything that made up your lovely personality, Chrollo had felt his chest swell with warmth as he walked silently around the living room the first time he’d broken in, examining your collection of books, seeing which ones were more tattered, lines on the spines of cheap copies. You deserved the feel of an antique book in your hands, not one of those second-rate editions. He could tell from the décor how much you loved this place. He would make sure you had plants, a fireplace, paintings and books and whatever else your heart desired.

All the treasures in the world had been made for you, he’d decided. And he’d steal them all. Then, he had wandered to the small bedroom connected to the living room. His eyes were accustomed to the darkness, he could see your sleeping form curled under the blankets, lips parted and breath steady and heavy. You looked so beautiful, so peaceful. He had the urge to slip the blanket off you, hold you to him, bury his face in your hair. But he didn’t. Not when he could not see your reaction. He wanted you to be awake, wanted you to want him to do all those things.

Temptation had taken him as far as stroking your hair, bending his head to press his lips against the top of your head. The scent of it, so sweet and reminiscent of a spring meadow, had almost made him groan.

He had visited you at night more often, and every time, he would dream of you afterwards, always waking up burning with desire. He needed you. Needed you all to himself. And so he resorted to doing what he did best: steal you.

He knew your patterns well after a few weeks: you worked a contemptible job undeserving of you Monday to Friday, and often stayed late, to the point where you would have to walk back to the station in the dark through dingy alleyways. It was completely and utterly unacceptable. On Saturdays, you walked through the park near your house and then went to the library in the city centre. On Sundays, you stayed home. Before he stole you, though, he wanted to speak to you.

The Sunday he had planned to meet you as you went about your errands, he had seen you visit a man you seemed friendly with. You had gone for lunch with him, laughed at his inane jokes, smiled at him. Chrollo had gotten closer to overhear the conversation, finding out that the swine was infatuated with you. Jealousy he had never felt in his life had burnt hot and bitter in the pit of his stomach, and he had barely been able to restrain the urge to kill him there and then.

But he couldn’t, not in front of you. You were too precious and sweet to bear such a sight. And he would need to make it painful, as punishment for the crime committed. He also did not like the idea of you shedding tears for that moron. No, he would have to kill him after he stole you. It would not do for you to weep for him, be consumed with thoughts about him, when Chrollo wanted him to disappear from the face of the Earth. It did not mean he couldn’t inflict pain on him in the meantime, though.

So that was what he had done. It was a meagre consolation, mere crumbs of reprieve for his resentment, but at the very least, he had had the pleasure of seeing him fall on his legs in the worst way. The worst possible fractures would be there, possibly incredibly painful and inoperable. He hoped the hit to his head had not made him a vegetable. He wanted him cognisant and receptive when he returned to visit him.

Because of the little mishap, he hadn’t been able to steal you on that Sunday and had had to wait one more week, which had only fuelled his bitterness for your acquaintance. However, it had also given him the possibility of meeting you at the library on the following Saturday. And God, you were truly delightful. Sweet and shy, kind and trusting. He had had to leave, or he would have stolen you right there and then. He could see you liked him, his touch. You had been keen to have more. And he would be delighted to grant your wishes.

Which was why he had chosen the next day to wait for you at your house. And now, he finally had you in his arms, though you had been a little recalcitrant. It had saddened him to have to render you unconscious, and the fact that you had seemed so frightened despite him reassuring you he had no intention of harming you was deeply displeasing. Still, he would be a liar if he denied that your fervour and defiance hadn’t tempted him, too. You had just been thrashing in his arms, rubbing against his body in the most sinful ways, and he had only wanted to have you at that very moment. But it would not do. You had been too scared and taken aback to enjoy the encounter, and he planned to make it unforgettable for the both of you.

So he had merely resorted to knocking you unconscious so you would stop causing a commotion.

He picked you up gently, lowering you on the sofa whilst he went to see if there was anything he needed to take with him. He could get you more clothes, ones that would look perfect on you. But he still got you a few handpicked garments for the time being, including your prettiest lingerie, which was utterly ravishing. He could hardly wait to see it on you and tear it off your body.

Your perfume was on the dresser, and he happened to have developed quite a liking for it. It wasn’t as expensive as something he could have gotten for you, but he could find a substitute for it that resembled its scent in the future. For now, he put it in the bag he’d taken with him. None of your books were of any significance, he had memorised the ones you liked the most and planned to get you antiques of those. Jewellery was also not an issue. He could get you so much better. Rubies or emeralds would look stunning on you, he thought. He got your passport, wallet and phone, just to throw off the police, and closed the bag. He put the knife you’d tried to use on him back in the holder and exited the house, putting the bag in the trunk of his car and going back to get you. You were still unconscious, sprawled on the sofa, and he checked once again that no signs of struggle could be seen before he picked you up, took the keys from the dresser next to the front door and closed the door behind him.

He lowered you on the backseat, closing the door and letting out a sigh as he walked to the front and locked the doors before he drove away. You were finally his.

Chapter II

[k8epot8e]

Train in Vain Chapter 2: Decisions

Summary:

The three of you hatch a plan to get to the show, much to Kid's disdain.

Notes:

This chapter is a little short but I'm setting up some fun things to come. Thanks for reading, everyone! It means a lot <3

Immediately following your confident acceptance of the night’s new course, the three of you started walking in a roughly southerly direction. The alley the guys had dodged into was lined with dumpsters, and the smell had started to seep down towards you like a fog, slowly and then all at once. You were happy to be out of that dank alley, but you were not confident that Kid or Kil had any sort of plan.

Kid led your motley crew, walking directly in front of you on the inside hand of the sidewalk, his broad shoulders dwarfing you and intercepting all incoming gusts of wind. Walking directly behind him made you feel comfortably warm despite the cold night air nipping at the exposed ribbons of skin between the tops of your socks and the bottom of your cropped jeans. Kil walked next to you on your left side. While this arrangement was not necessarily thought through, it made you feel very safe, like a general flanked protectively by his soldiers from an incoming attack. After walking in silence for a few minutes, the comfort of their closeness waned and you realized that none of you knew how to get to your destination.

“Hey, wait. Do you know where we’re going?” You called to Kid as you stopped short. Kil lingered a step after you looking at Kid who hadn’t stopped walking until he was multiple steps ahead of you both. “No. I don’t.” Kid said without turning around. Kil looked between the two of you, his large hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. “It’s probably too far to walk. We wouldn’t make it by showtime.” Kil confessed. Kid hesitated before turning around. He looked at Kil and huffed “Well, what are we supposed to do? We don’t have money for an Uber.” “We’d normally drive with our mates to the show, but those idiots forgot the gear at our practice spot. They’re getting it to set everything up. We can’t ask them for a ride too or we’ll all be late.” Kil explained. You crossed your arms, “Where exactly is this place?” “It’s a venue at the docks.” Kil said, “It’s a stage and bar inside of an old shipping container.” “Of course it is,” you said looking askance. “If it’s not fancy enough for you, girlie, you can run along home,” Kid said, eyebrow cocked towards you judgementally. “That’s not what I meant, you ass. I just mean an Uber or a cab would be pretty expensive for that far a ride this time of night.” You responded curtly.

You hadn’t realized that your conversation was taking up most of the sidewalk. The street you were on wasn’t bustling, but it’s Brooklyn and there’s always bound to be someone walking around. Kil moved out of a man’s path by taking a step towards you. He placed his large right hand on your left elbow to warn you of his incoming closeness. The sudden touch of his calloused palm on your arm made every one of your hairs stand on end. Blood rushed to your cheeks and you felt your face get hot as you tried to keep an even expression. Kid, stared at you, the right corner of his blood-red lips curling up towards his cheek.

After the man had passed, Kil stepped back into his original distance. You swallowed, attempting to regain your steadiness as Kid’s smirk turned into a full grin. He noticed your obvious nervousness from being close to Kil and wanted to make sure that you knew he’d noticed. Trying to wipe the smug smile off his face, you resumed the earlier conversation.

“So what are we going to do? Should we walk to another train station?” You suggested. “The only other one close to here is a D. We’d have to transfer twice,” Kil said looking at his phone. After a couple seconds of silence, Kil sighed. “I have an idea. But you’re not going to like it.” Kid looked at Kil as his expression sank. “What? What is it?” You looked between the two, tentatively. “Doesn’t, uh, Luffy live around here?” Kil said resignedly to Kid while rubbing the back of his head. “NO. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT.” Kid bellowed. His volume made you jump. The two men immediately started arguing back and forth, Kid continuing to yell over Kil’s steady voice as he gesticulated wildly. “I CAN HARDLY STAND THAT FECKIN GOWK I DON’T WAN HIM THINKIN WE’RE FREINDS” Kid yelled, his brogue getting harsher with his anger. “Kid, we’re just asking for a ride. You know he and his roommates have a car. Do you want to miss the show?” Kil asked calmly. He obviously knew how to handle his friend’s outbursts. “Woah, woah, woah, who’s Luffy?” You asked, arms outstretched to get their attention. “A little, feckin, cunt that’s who.” Kid grumbled as his metal hand massaged his forehead, his brogue lighting as he calmed. “He’s a guy we know through mutual friends. He’s not a bad dude he’s just, an acquired taste.” Kil said as he looked in your eyes reassuringly. “Well I mean if he has a car it’s worth a shot, right?” You said mostly to Kid. He was silent for a second, head in his hands. He growled and threw his head back. “Alright fine. ONLY because we need to get to the goddamn, fucking, show.” Kid spat, hands still covering his face. “I think I have his number,” Kil said, scrolling on his phone. “Yep. Here we go.” He raised the phone to his right ear.

As quickly as the call was placed it was answered. You heard a loud, happy voice blare through the speaker, “JAGGY’S FRIEND?!” The voice’s volume took Kil by surprise. He shot his phone hand away from his ear. “Jesus,” You heard Kid grumble. “Uh, yeah Luffy it’s Kil.” He said into the phone. “You’ve never called me before! What’s up?” The happy voice asked curiously. You heard other voices overlap in the background, some were yelling angrily while others were laughing as upbeat music played steadily. “Jag-I mean Kid and I need a favor. You live in Sunset Park right?” Kil corrected himself as Kid shot him a death glare. “Yep! Are you coming to the party?” The voice asked sounding thrilled. “What? No. We-” Kil started. “GREAT! Haha, and Nami said you’d never come! Get here soon!” The voice laughed and hung up.

The three of you looked at each other. “Well, that wasn’t a no,” Kil said wryly. Kid sighed out his nose, his jaw clenched tight. “It’ll be fine! We’ll go to the party and convince someone to give us a ride! If he’s excited to see you that means he’ll be up for a favor.” You said, sensing Kid’s annoyance. “She’s right. We’ll make a quick appearance, he’ll give us a ride, and it’ll probably make him so happy that he won’t ever bug us to go to his parties again.” Kil said, looking at Kid. “Fine.” Kid huffed, arms crossed. “Let’s get this over with.” “He seemed really nice. I don’t know why you-” You started, smiling at Kid mischievously. “Drop it, girlie” Kid said, unamused. Kil held up his phone. “Okay, his apartment is three blocks that way.” He pointed down the street, back in the direction you’d come from. Two guys pushed their way past Kil, complaining, “Why are you standing in the middle of the goddamn sidewalk?” “Fuck off” Kid spat. “You gonna make me, lipstick?” One of the dudes stopped and spread his arms, the universal sign for ‘come at me, bro.’ Before Kid had time to act, you wrapped your right hand around his metal forearm and pulled him along as you started walking. With Kid’s forearm in your right hand, you grabbed Kil’s blue t-shirt with your left and shuffled the men in the direction of your new destination. “We don’t have time for another fight. Come on!” You declared. Either one of them could have easily broken your grip or resisted your tug in the opposite direction, but surprisingly neither one did. Kid called over his shoulder at the guys, “Ya got lucky, bastards!” as he allowed you to pick up your pace, leading the way to Luffy’s apartment.

[koalas-koalas-everywhere]

Mercelot Week 2023 Day 3: Locked Room/Midnight Meetings (When Love Was An Act Of Defiance Sneak Peak)

In which Lancelot doesn't die and that changes... well, not that much, actually. Up until it does.

<< That's what the summary would be IF I HAD A COMPLETE FIC TO POST. These are sneak peaks posted as part of Mercelot Week 2023.

--------------------------------

Lancelot is feeling kinda bummed about his new job. Good thing Merlin is always there to recommend medically beneficial crime!

HEY. THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE WIP AHEAD. Except for how it's about things that happen in the first and second chapter. Like, I'm not pressed about you reading it, but I have recently seen people complain about how the Barbie movie trailer provided info about the movie, so. We've moved past the fanfic tropes that might appear in tags and into the meat of the story. It's from an original chapter called "A Wake". Anyway, Fill for Day 3: Locked Room/Midnight Meetings. Ao3

Merlin and Lancelot reached the end of a darkened corridor and peered around the corner. Two guards were posted along the next turn.

Merlin whispered, “Hie wēmaþ þé”, and a flurry of steps sounded in the next corner. The guards rushed over and they sneaked the same way, turning left where the other two had turned right. Some hallways later, they came across the room they’d been looking for.

“Onirn,” Merlin unlocked the door and they slipped in. “Alright, they should be in the back. Unless someone hasn’t been listening to Gaius,” he snorted, already walking over. “Why don’t you take the last row and I’ll take the one before that? You’ll know them when you see them, but remember not to touch anything else.”

“That was too easy,” Lancelot complained, following after him.

“Is that a problem for you?” Merlin looked back, incredulous.

“I mean… Now that I’m in charge of the castle’s security…” he admitted.

“Well.” Merlin turned that over in his mind. “If it makes you feel better. It wasn’t really any easier than when Leon was in charge. So.”

“Just,” Lancelot waved it off and walked past Merlin to the shelf he’d been sent to.

Merlin bit his lip, but left it alone while he got to work as well. They searched in silence for a few seconds.

“It wasn’t that bad, you know?” Merlin called out.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Merlin peeked through a gap in the shelf at Lancelot’s back. Those were definitely angry shoulders and he’d never known his friend to be angry at anyone but himself.

“Considering it was your first time and everyone just decided to be an arse about it.”

“I forgot to tell them to bring their weapons. I forgot to tell them I’d be leading the training at all. All of them, our friends, too! That was just…” He stopped and dropped his forehead against the shelf, groaning.

“You made a mistake,” Merlin soothed. “It could happen to anyone. Also, take your face away from there, you don’t know what it’ll do to you.”

“Did it happen to Arthur?” he challenged, straightening up.

“Arthur’s been training for this since birth.” Merlin did a weird voice at that last part, although he knew Lancelot wouldn’t get it. “Honestly, he shouldn’t even have been a knight when I got here, he was too young. They probably let him cheat,” he accused in mock-indignation.

“He must have proven himself in battle,” Lancelot denied, not getting into the joke.

“How did he prove himself worthy to be in a battle in which… to… prove himself?” Merlin blinked. “Besides, I assure you, no one would’ve dared to say anything to him, even if he’d made an idiot of himself.”

“You mean, like I did?” Lancelot asked bitterly and Merlin knew he’d walked right into that one. Before he could protest, he went on. “Did he ever even make an idiot of himself?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Merlin muttered.

“Did Leon?”

Merlin looked at the boxes in front of him. After a moment of silence, he heard Lancelot sigh and his rummaging resume. Then, it stopped again.

“I found them.”

Merlin perked up and crossed the shelves to look.

“See?” he bumped his shoulder against Lancelot’s. “You are good for something.”

That earned him a snort. They set to work, filling the bag they’d brought along with fritters, careful to leave the remaining ones more or less orderly to avoid suspicion. Once it was full, they dashed among the preserved meats and fruits out of the storage room, through the castle’s hallways and back to Lancelot’s chambers.

“Sneaking around and stealing things doesn’t feel right when we’re only trying to get some sweets,” the knight reflected from where he sat on the floor, considering a dragée under the light of the fireplace.

“You need it,” Merlin said through a mouthful of his own loot, a sugar-coated strawberry. “It’s good for your humours.”

“I’m not sure,” Lancelot laughed. He tipped over to grab the poker and stoke the fire, but he couldn’t reach it, even stretching so far he was lying down. He sighed, as if weighing the chill in the room against his reticence to get up.

Merlin made a noise to stop him. He stretched his hand towards the fire and whispered, “Onǣl.”

The flames flared up. He wondered what would happen if he tried that spell on a fire without enough kindle and turned to ask Lancelot, but then he met his eyes. He was still lying halfway down, leaning on an elbow to look at him with a soft smile. The golden light of the fire seemed to play in the ends of his hair, the folds in the corners of his eyes, his hands as he fiddled with a sweet and brought it up to his mouth.

“What if there hadn’t been enough wood?” Merlin blurted out, flustered all of a sudden. He realized that hadn’t made sense and was about to explain, but he didn’t need to.

“Well,” Lancelot said, shifting to better hold his food on the hand whose elbow was propping him up and feed himself with the other, “you can make a fire in your hand, right? And I assume you’re not using your own flesh as fuel—“

“You don’t know that,” Merlin pointed out.

“It would smell,” he countered with a grin.

“Alright, but, see, that spell didn’t mean ‘fire’, exactly—“ Merlin leant forward to explain, already seeing Lancelot’s eyes light up with interest, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

They both looked at it and then each other. It was the small hours, much too late for social calls, present company excluded. The only thing that made sense was that someone had caught them nicking the desserts.

“Lancelot?” came Percival’s hushed voice.

They shared a wry smile.

“Good thing we got enough to share,” Merlin whispered.

Percival pushed the door in a crack, took one look at them and withdrew. “Sorry!”

“To hell with that, I do not believe he has a girl in there,” said Gwaine, barging right in. His eyes fell instantly on the pile of food they’d dumped between them and he pointed at it. “Told you!”

“About the girl thing or about the food thing?” Elyan asked, walking inside. “Hi, Merlin. Do you guys mind?” he grinned, already grabbing some sweets and sitting with them.

“Shame on you, Lancelot,” Gwaine tutted, doing the same. “The Marshal of Camelot? Stealing from the royal pantry?” His voice was muffled with food when he said, “My, my.”

Percival slipped in and closed the door.

“They’re medicine, actually,” Lancelot told him.

“For the humours,” Merlin insisted, also with his mouth full.

“What’s in this?” Elyan asked, lifting a comfit.

“Sugar,” Gwaine said.

“I know that, I mean what’s inside the sugar.” Elayn shoved his shoulder.

“Ginger, I think,” Merlin said, leaning forward to get a better look.

“Will that help with my humours?” he asked, popping it in his mouth.

“Um.” Merlin shrugged. “Can’t hurt.”

“Cheers to not hurting,” Gwaine toasted with a comfit of his own and they all joined in.

“Cheers to the marshal,” Percival added, which they all repeated so loudly that the honoree had to shush them, in between being shaken by multiple hands that reached to push his shoulder and ruffle his hair.

“Well, not everyone’s as happy,” Lancelot remarked.

“Bunch of snobs,” Gwaine waved it off. “They just can’t accept that they’ve sucked that silver spoon dry.”

“What about Brennis, then?” he challenged. “He never had a problem with any of us, he’s still fine with all of you, but today—“

“Maybe he didn’t see you behind him,” Percival suggested.

“Oh, he definitely saw you,” Elyan denied with a snort, then he smiled sadly. “I don’t think it’s really about you, though. Wait a little. Until everything’s less” —he sucked in air— “fresh with Leon. You’ll see how they turn around.”

“I’m not so sure,” Lancelot said, but he didn’t elaborate.

Merlin wished he would. Maybe it would help him to have a knight’s perspective on the whole thing, to assure him that he wasn’t any less brave or honourable for having left the quest. He couldn’t break his friend’s confidence, though.

“Cheers!” Gwaine lifted another sweet. “To Leon!”

“To Leon,” they all joined in.

“Who’d have been so very done if he’d found us eating stolen food in the middle of the night!” The rest of them laughed as he went on, gesturing at Lancelot. “Who no one would’ve dared to emasculate with a mace!”

“Attempt to emasculate, thank you,” Lancelot corrected.

“Important,” Merlin agreed.

“And who would’ve let us keep on, as long as we gave him a bribe, and maybe even joined us,” Gwaine sighed.

“And who would’ve told Lancelot that he was doing just fine and to stop sweating it,” Elyan added.

“Gelding notwithstanding,” Merlin finished.

“Cheers!” cried Percival.

“I dodged,” Lancelot insisted, raising his own comfit.

Notes:

Hie wēmaþ þé: “They lead you astray.” (Hopefully) Onǣlan: 1. to set fire to; kindle; ignite; light (a fire ; lamp ; etc ) 2. to burn; burn up 3. to make hot; (by extension) to inflame; excite intense feeling; kindle passions. (The version in the story is in imperative.) I was going to use another one that meant literally “to attend to a fire” but asfasdfasd.

[darkiecat]

I finished reading 泾渭情殇 (jing wei qing shang)! What a week...

Huh, never thought that I’d find this side just as interesting. The political stuff was pretty easy to follow too.

I want to read some more baihe. I’ve only read 4 danmei but baihe was nice. I heard the general and princess one was one of the more well-known ones (same author too).

Speaking of the author, goodness does this person work hard! A chapter just about every day or two! The cerebral vasospasm doesn’t sound too great either.

[bakuthedeku]

their everyday game

Read on AO3

Words: 3,000

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Things Midoriya Izuku is: A student, a sugar baby, a boyfriend, a brat.

Things Midoriya Izuku is not: Patient.

Or: Izuku wants attention from Kacchan and he is going to get it.

A commissioned fic for @insinirate !

Clack clack clack. The room is silent but for the steady breaths of its occupants and the rhythmic beat of fingers on plastic. Clear, wall-to-ceiling windows wash the sun’s gentle light into the room, and reveal a picturesque view of the sparkling city, looking like something straight out of a magazine.

Izuku glares at the extravagant view. He bets Kacchan is writing another one of those stupid reports of his.

Buzz. The clacking halts and Kacchan glances at his work phone for but a moment before the typing resumes.

Izuku takes a deep breath. Holds it. Puffs out his cheeks.

He slumps over in his seat and sighs obnoxiously.

God, he’s so damn bored.

Kacchan said he had to get one more hour of work done, and then he’d take a break. That had been almost three hours ago. ‘One hour’ had turned into two when Izuku left Kacchan to get ready for their lunch date and had foolishly gone straight to the cafe instead of meeting up with Kacchan at the office first. He’d waited all of ten minutes at their usual table before calling a company car and returning to find Kacchan still working in his office.

If not for Kacchan’s genuine surprise at the time and his gruff, yet sweet apologies, he would be a dead man already.

But Izuku still isn’t satisfied. Kacchan needs a break, and Izuku needs attention, stat. There’s only one solution: Izuku’s gonna annoy the shit out of Kacchan. So Izuku sucks in another breath and pouts at the ceiling. “Kacchaaaaan!”

Kacchan sighs, but he doesn’t respond. The silence in the room grows thick with expectation; Izuku’s long-perfect attention-seeking tone signals the start of the game they play every day.

For a moment, the only sound in the room is the clack of keys and occasional buzz from Kacchan’s work phone. Izuku wriggles against his plush seat, making the leather squeak obnoxiously, and clears his throat daintily, earning himself a glance. “Kacchan, I’m hungry…” Izuku peaks at Kacchan from beneath fluttering eyelashes.

Kacchan shifts his eyes back to his computer and types another line, pointedly loud against the room’s still silence.

When they play this game, whoever breaks first (or whoever wants whatever they’re after more) will relent and go to the other, so this can go one of two ways; Izuku will pull himself from his lounging position to drape himself over Kacchan, or Kacchan will pull himself from his work and lavish Izuku with the attention he deserves.

Today, Izuku takes it upon himself to move things forward—Kacchan is in one of those moods where it could take hours to break him down, and Izuku needs results now.

So with an impatient, gusty sigh pulled deep from his lungs, Izuku heaves himself up and slinks over to Kacchan’s grand desk, stalking up from behind him. When Kacchan makes the mistake of glancing at Izuku from the corner of his eye, Izuku pounces.

Izuku wrenches Kacchan’s chair around and jumps into his lap, laying himself over Kacchan as well as the plush arms of his chair. Kacchan grunts out a quiet oof at the sudden weight but wraps an arm around his waist nonetheless.

“I’m working, Deku,” Kacchan says dryly.

“Actually, Kacchan, I think you’ll find that you’re cuddling me and giving me attention right now, and I can’t imagine why you’d want to stop.”

Kacchan exhales quietly and wrestles down the corners of his lips—it’s not quite a smile, but it’s a good enough start for Izuku. “I have a lot to do, so as much as I’d love to keep giving you all the attention you desire, I really do have to get back to work.”

Izuku wraps an arm around Kacchan’s neck and pretends to think, then shakes his head solemnly. “Unfortunately, it’s a no from me. I’m hungry and I want lunch.”

“Then go get lunch.”

Izuku gives Kacchan a look for being deliberately obtuse.

“I’ll order in for you, then,” Kacchan offers.

Izuku huffs and pushes himself away from his comfortable spot against Kacchan’s broad chest. “Not good enough, Kacchan! We organised a lunch date, so I am getting a lunch date. Now.” Izuku sticks out his chin and dares Kacchan to say no.

Eyes lock. Izuku stares with determination, burying his will into impenetrable crystal red and steadfastly ignoring their alluring pull. Kacchan makes an aborted noise in the back of his throat, as if he was about to say something stupid but thought better of it, and finally sighs.

“Half an hour.”

Izuku smiles sweetly. “Two. You’re late, so you’ve accrued interest.”

Kacchan decides to focus on their negotiations over Izuku’s mockingly business-like tone: “Forty-five is the best you’re going to get from me.”

“An hour, not including travel time, or I’ll get our contract from your room and tear it up myself.” Izuku juts out a petulant lip. He’d never do it, but it gets his point across—Izuku isn’t budging on this.

Kacchan stares hard for a moment, then sags and rests his head in the crook of Izuku’s neck. “You’re such an annoying little shit,” he murmurs, warm against Izuku’s skin.

Izuku hides his smile in Kacchan’s hair and holds him tight. Another victory secured.

/-/

The cafe is a relaxing, familiar space for Izuku. He’s been a regular since before his arrangement with Kacchan began, and when it breached the confines of Kacchan’s highrise office, it was only natural Izuku would drag Kacchan to his favourite little spot.

After enough of their regular visits, the staff have stopped staring at Kacchan and his crisp suits and shiny Rolex watches, and they interact more or less normally with the pair when they stop by.

They place their orders, as usual, and Kacchan pays, as usual, before they settle in their favourite corner, waiting for drinks and food.

Izuku relaxes into his plush chair. He breathes in happiness, the scent of sugar and coffee and Kacchan’s handsome cologne, and breathes out his worries. He’s already plotting ways to extend the hour he was so graciously granted.

On the table before him is a generous slice of cake, which is ‘not a meal,’ according to Kacchan, but Izuku wanted it and he doesn’t care what Kacchan has to say about it. Kacchan is still waiting on his own food; some kind of salmon dish, which is about the fanciest thing he might be able to get his hands on at a casual place like this.

Before Kacchan can grouse at Izuku further, Izuku digs into his treat with no regard for manners, or as Kacchan calls them, “basic fucking social etiquette.” Whenever Kacchan attempts to spout this particular kind of bullshit, Izuku rather enjoys pointing out the hypocrisy of Kacchan of all people criticising other people’s social graces.

Izuku glances at Kacchan and licks his lips before he fills his mouth with fluffy, sugary goodness, making eye-contact with him as he lets out an exaggerated moan. “So good,” Izuku takes care to lick his lips and smiles, warm and sweet like molten honey.

Kacchan rolls his eyes, but he swallows like his mouth is dry. “You’re a damn menace, you little brat,” he says hoarsely, despite the way his eyes have been stuck on Izuku’s lips since he licked them.

“Hey!” Izuku kicks out with all the gentleness of a fussy toddler, landing a solid kick on Kacchan’s shin. “Don’t be mean. You would’ve missed our lunch date altogether if I hadn’t dragged you here.” Izuku tilts his head and gives an Oscar-worthy kicked-puppy pout.

“Deku…” Kacchan obviously misses the point of his pouting by a mile, because now he just looks sad, and that is not what Izuku was going for! “I’m sorry I forgot, baby. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you, it’s just...”

“You’re busy,” Izuku finishes for him, and leans across the table to (affectionately) swat his dumb boyfriend’s head. “I know. I’m not mad, but I do want your attention right now, so cut out the sadness and shower me with compliments like you’re supposed to.”

This earns a snort of laughter from Kacchan, who finally catches on and plays along with their usual game. His whole face brightens with his smile. “Ah yes, of course, dear. How could I spend even a second not overwhelming you with compliments?”

Izuku nods seriously. “Exactly. I’m just so shocked. You should know better than to neglect me by now,” Izuku winks, “Daddy.”

Kacchan makes a point of rolling his eyes, but he’s smiling broadly now, all teeth and crinkled eyes. “Alright, you’ve made your point, asshole. Eat your stupid cake already.”

/-/

Once they’ve eaten, and the redundant alarm Kacchan had set goes off, they return to the car. It’s time for Izuku to execute his plan.

Before Kacchan can put his belt on like the square he is, Izuku swings a leg over his lap and wraps himself around his boyfriend. Kacchan raises a questioning eyebrow before Izuku makes his demand: “Take me shopping.”

Kacchan smacks his head back against the headrest dramatically. “You have my card. I’ll have the driver drop you off wherever you want to go, okay?”

“I said take me shopping, not send me. You have to be there or there’s no use! Kacchan needs to come with me.”

Kacchan looks sad, then, and the stupid man has apparently learnt a thing or two from Izuku, because he’s got the bestest, heart-wrenchingest puppy-dog eyes without even trying. Resting his forehead against Izuku’s, Kacchan sighs softly against his lips. “You know I spend as much time as I can with you, baby. I can only ignore my work for so long, for you.”

Izuku aches, sudden and raw. “Oh, Kacchan… I know you’re busy, you work so hard! Kacchan really is amazing. But sometimes I want to be selfish and snatch up more of your time. You put too much pressure on yourself at work. You have so many employees so you don’t have to run yourself in the ground.”

“There are things my employees can’t do-”

“Like stopping you from working yourself to death? Right, that’s my job.” Izuku wiggles in Kacchan’s lap and captures his lips in a whisper-soft kiss. “So let me take care of you.” Izuku flutters his eyelashes and pulls his trump card. “Please, Daddy?” he asks, words sugar-sweet on his lips.

Cheeks glowing a suspicious strawberry red, Kacchan huffs and grabs Izuku by the waist, easily picking him up off his lap and depositing him on the seat next to him. He waits patiently for Kacchan to break, all the while butterflies dance in Izuku’s belly at his Daddy’s casual display of strength.

“The hell do you need so badly anyway?”

Truthfully, Izuku has no idea what he would wish to buy. Spoiled as he is, there are few things he’s wanted through life that he doesn’t now own, thanks to Kacchan. “I saw this gorgeous lingerie set and I just have to try it on before I buy it. And I need you there to tell me how good it looks,” Izuku states matter-of-factly.

Kacchan clears his throat and pinches Izuku’s cheek. “Fine. Let’s go look at this lingerie, then, baby.”

/-/

Izuku drags Kacchan out of the car by his hand and refuses to let go even after they’ve made it inside the shopping center.

“Come on, come on, I wanna see what this store has!” With Kacchan in tow, Izuku makes a beeline for his favourite lingerie store.

Izuku chatters away as he makes his way up and down the store, fluttering about pretty displays and shiny, luxurious lingerie sets hung up on the walls. He semi-consciously gives Kacchan a consistent stream of observations, rhetorical questions and mumbled postulations about what Kacchan might like best. He picks out half a dozen sets in just a few minutes, handing each one over to Kacchan for him to judge and/or hold like a handsome sentient display rack.

Soon enough, Kacchan flags down someone from the store to do the grunt work for him as he follows Izuku around the store like a loyal dog, face warring between fondness and annoyance.

Izuku is quite certain that the fondness far outweighs the annoyance, though. Izuku is, after all, impossible to hate.

After completing one circuit of the store, Kacchan interrupts Izuku before he can begin on a second. “What happened to the ‘one’ set you wanted, huh?” The man crosses his arms like a brute, biceps flexing handsomely as he pours disapproval into the question.

Izuku tuts at him. “There’s nothing wrong with browsing. Just look at how pretty this one is!” Izuku pulls out the dainty belt and harness set he was looking at, wiggling it around for Kacchan’s judgment.

“Mm,” Kacchan acknowledges, carefully collected as he judges the set. With his nod of approval, Izuku gleefully adds it to his soon-to-be-towering pile of things to try on, heedless of the fact that Kacchan immediately passes it off to the poor retail worker trailing after them.

Kacchan crosses his arms. “Don’t think I don’t realise what you’re doing, baby boy.”

Izuku ought to feel sheepish at being caught out so easily, but it’s to be expected when he’s trying to con Kacchan. Instead, he tilts his head and bats his big, round eyes, the perfect picture of innocence. “But Daddy, what exactly are you going to do about it?”

Kacchan crosses his arms, but Izuku’s got him there. Kacchan wants to see Izuku in this lingerie just as much as Izuku wants to try them on. And if all of this has the bonus of Izuku keeping Kacchan to himself for a little longer, then they don’t need to talk about that, really.

“I don’t know why I put up with you,” Kacchan says, and Izuku giggles, wrapping his arms around his Daddy’s neck.

“I can think of a few reasons,” he laughs. “Now come tell me how pretty I look in these!”

/-/

The driver has to help them get everything into the car. As soon as they’re in, Kacchan orders the driver to start the car and get them back to his work quickly.

It’s cute that Kacchan thinks they’d be going anywhere near his office if not for Izuku allowing it.

“Are you satisfied now, brat?” Kacchan asks, pulling on his seatbelt only after the car has started moving (ooh, rebellious).

Izuku hums. He takes a long few moments to rearrange the copious amount of bags around him, just because he can. He pretends to think very hard about it before nodding exaggeratedly. “Yes, I think I am. For today, at least.”

When Kacchan groans, Izuku shuts him up with a kiss, and they smile like kids in love against each other’s lips.

/-/

Deku seems to have tuckered himself out during their shopping trip, which is understandable considering the sheer amount of clothes he insisted he try on before making Katsuki buy everything for him. He spends the car ride back draped over Katsuki’s side, giving a docile little mumble every now and then when he sees a dog on the sidewalk or a pretty flower that apparently reminds him of Katsuki’s eyes.

(How can the fucker get even cuter than usual just because he tired himself out being a whiny brat all day? How is that fair at all to Katsuki’s heart? Not to mention his wallet...)

(It’s not like Katsuki can’t afford it, but damn, lingerie is surprisingly fucking expensive.)

Katsuki carefully shakes Deku awake when they arrive, because he has learnt the hard way that if he leaves Deku to doze or wakes him too quickly, there will be hell to pay. So he accepts Deku’s blindly groping hand into his own and leads him into the building, where Izuku says something vague about harassing his friend in reception and stumbles off, bleary-eyed.

Katsuki has some interns come down and transfer Deku’s things into his private car so he can attempt to get some work done before Deku makes it upstairs. Deku usually settles down after a few hours of monopolising Katsuki’s time and attention, but with the mood he’s in today, Katsuki doesn’t like his chances of getting anything else done.

He’s gotten as far as opening up an email from a partner company when the door clicks open and Deku sashays in like he owns the place.

And, okay. Katsuki owns the place, and Deku has him wrapped around his pinky finger, so he does own the place in every way but name. But only Katsuki is allowed to know that, god damn it.

“You look like a bumbling fawn like that,” Katsuki informs him, just to see Deku’s sleepy eyes flash with indignation, and watch his cheeks glow a pretty, flustered pink.

Deku’s response doesn’t disappoint, and his nose even scrunches up like a disgruntled bunny, but Katsuki’s gone and shot himself in the foot because now Deku is stomping up to him in a way that says he means business. Deku collapses heavily and claims the space of Katsuki’s lap, steadfast in the fact that it is his and his alone.

Deku slaps him petulantly on the chest. “Meanie,” he mumbles, and curls up on Katsuki’s lap, nestling his head beneath his chin and settling against him, a puzzle piece slotted perfectly in its place. “I’m tired,” Deku says, as if that isn’t obvious already.

Kastuki huffs, presses a feather-soft kiss to the crown of his head. “Just rest, idiot.”

“‘Mkay Daddy…”

Katsuki strokes his fingers through the softness of Izuku’s hair and cradles him as Deku’s body relaxes into Katsuki’s own. “Good boy,” he murmurs.

Pressed tenderly together, Deku continues babbling quietly to fill the peaceful sunset air. Katsuki nods along and holds his baby securely in his arms until he floats off into sleep.

Clack clack clack. With a watchful eye on Deku, lovely and sleep-soft against his chest, Katsuki quietly gets back to work.

[lokifantasies]

Overprotective (Loki/Reader*)SMUT

Requested by anon

Word count: 4200

Loki always knew how to keep a secret from you – being the God of Mischief and Lies certainly helped. However, most of the time, the secrets he kept from you were ones that you loved rather than heartbreaking ones. Tonight was no different.

You walked into the large bedchamber that you and he shared. The curtains were open so that the stars shone perfectly, there were green candles lit on each side of the bed, and a trail of white roses guided you to the bathroom, where you saw your husband of two months sitting in a hot bath.

"Finally," he grinned – watching as you slowly walked towards him. "Join me."

You looked at him skeptically. "My love, what are you doing?"

Loki stood up and walked out of the tub. You gasped at the glorious sight before your eyes as if you'd never seen him nude before. His body was perfect – his abs sculpted to the perfect size and shape. Slowly, he started taking your dress off your shoulders, and you watched him with anticipation. This was a first, you had to admit. The two of you had slept together more than anyone could ever imagine, you've been on dates, and you were even husband and wife, but there was something different about him this time. "Loki," you said, drawn out in a warning tone. Finally, he stopped and held your hands with his – deeply kissing the backs of them.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you," you answered with a curious tone. "Loki, my dear, what's going on?"

Loki sighed and put his robe on. You followed his actions and quickly put your silky bathrobe on as well. He guided you to the bed the two of you shared, and he sat at the end of it – pulling you to straddle his lap. You searched his eyes for some sort of clue as to what was going on in his mind, but he knew how to keep you from reading him.

Loki let out a deep breath and blurted out what was on his mind. "Let's have a baby."

Your eyes widened, and you let out a shocked breathe. For a few seconds, you tried to form words – looking into his gorgeous blue eyes for any sign of mischief. There was none. "Love?" he finally uttered, pulling you out of your shock.

"Sorry," you apologized. "I just – I wasn't...expecting that."

"I understand," Loki said softly, rubbing your cheek with the back of his hand. "I couldn't think of any other way to say it."

You shook your head. "No, no, that's not it," you clarified, wrapping your arms around his neck and playing with his hair. "Are you sure about this?"

Loki nodded. "I am," he answered. "It doesn't have to be right now, though, but now that we're married, that seems like the next logical step to take."

"I want a baby too," you said softly, bringing a grin to Loki's face. "I don't...I mean...are you sure we'd be good parents?" you asked, feeling slightly nervous. "Our childhoods weren't exactly fairytales, Loki."

He brushed a strand of hair behind your ear. "Lovebug, our childhoods are perfect examples of what not to do."

"Can I ask you something?" you inquired softly. Loki nodded. "Why?"

"Why do I want a baby with you?" he asked, making sure he understood you. You nodded in confirmation, and he gave you a smile. "Because I want our family to go on forever," he answered. "Because I love you more than anything in Yggdrasil. Because I want to be as close as possible with you. Because I want to hold the product of our love in my arms and protect it with my life. Because I –" You cut him off with a deep kiss that knocked him back onto the bed. "Are you sure?" he asked with heavy breaths.

"Three thousand percent," you grinned before going back to explore his mouth.

Loki held you close, grabbing the back of your head and lacing his fingers through your hair. You held his face in your hands and felt the slight stubble on his jaw. Loki moved up towards the head of the bed, and you followed along with him – straddling his lap once more, lying chest-to-chest as the two of you kept swallowing sounds being produced from each other. Loki wrapped his arms around you and began to rub your back – slowly making his way to your behind that he loved so much. You giggled as you felt his hands move slowly, and he returned with a chuckle and a bite of your lower lip. Usually, you would let him be in control, but this night, you felt rather bold. You grabbed his hands and held them above his head, smirking at him while he looked shocked.

"Love," he purred, trying to reach up to your neck. "You'd better be careful."

You took a deep breath in. "No," you growled in his ear. Causing his erection to become large enough to touch your core through the bathrobes. "Your hands will stay up here," you ordered. With a lustful gaze, Loki nodded and licked his lips.

You let go of his hands, and to your surprise, he actually obeyed. You started to peel the bathrobe off his body – kissing his chest as it became exposed. Loki was fighting to not move his hands, grab you, and dominate you, but he knew how important this was to you. Your hands found their way down to his hips, and you finished untying the robe and peeling it back. Finally, with your husband bare before you, you again sighed at the sight of the god.

"Does my wife like what she sees?" Loki said in a sultry voice with his hands still above his head.

You nodded your head and resumed kissing your way down his body. Once you were above his erect, throbbing member, you kissed the short, curly black hairs and massaged his balls, bringing forth a moan from him.

"If you move your hands at all, then I'll stop," you threatened, knowing that it was becoming harder for him to contain himself. He didn't answer, so you licked the underside of his cock.

"Yes," he gasped.

"Yes, what?" you urged him on, teasing the tip of his member.

Loki groaned. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good boy," you muttered before going back to placing your kisses.

You made sure to kiss every inch of his cock – top, bottom, sides, and tip. You knew what drove him insane, and you knew how to tease him viciously, and he had no choice but to endure it and follow your rules if he didn't want you to stop. Finally, you took him into your mouth and moaned at his taste – the precum that had been leaking from his tip.

Loki tasted wonderful, as usual, but it wasn't wonderful in the sense of sweetness – he was primal. He tasted like a true man – a true god. He moaned and fought to keep his hands up as you swirled your tongue around his tip and sucked his shaft like he loved – bobbing your head up and down. Whatever you couldn't fit in your mouth was stroked by your hand, and your other hand kept its attention on his balls – making sure he was as turned on as possible. Loki watched with heavy eyelids as you went up and down on him – spitting on his cock and letting your saliva fall from your mouth onto him every now and then.

"Please," he began to beg you.

You chuckled – sending another vibration through his body. "Please, what, husband?"

"Please," he groaned again. "Please let me finish."

"Hmm," you pondered, sending yet another jolt of pleasure through him. "No."

You took him out of your mouth and kissed the tip of his cock before looking up and smiling at him innocently.

"Lovebug," he began, getting more impatient. "I obeyed your rules."

"I know," you whispered as you crawled up to him and let him taste himself on your tongue. "Keep obeying me. It'll be worth it," you purred.

"If it's not, then I'll have to punish you," he threatened. You grinned at him, and then his eyes widened. "Dear," he started in a warning manner, "don't tell me that was your goal."

You leaned back over him and hovered your face above his before moving to his ear. "It was," you whispered. "What're you going to do about it."

In a flash, your bathrobe was off, and you were underneath the God of Mischief.

"What am I going to do about it?" he growled, nipping at your neck. "What do you think I'm going to do about it?" You sighed in response as you felt his hand make its way down to your soaking wet cunt. The ability to form words had left you, and the only thing you were capable of was moaning at his touches. "Oh my," he purred in your ear. "Sweetheart, you are dripping wet for me." You could only nod in response, breaths coming heavy, your breasts rising and falling in rhythm. Loki soaked one of his fingers in your wetness and brought it up to your lips. "Here," he coaxed you into taking his finger into your mouth, "have a taste."

You eagerly licked his finger clean, moaning at the taste of your need for him. With a dark and lustful chuckle, he soaked his finger again, but this time, he licked it clean. You playfully whined at the act, so he obliged and soaked his finger for a third time – watching you taste yourself once more. Seeing you so needy for him turned him on more than anything else. "That's my good girl," he complimented you, taking a nipple into his mouth. You panted at the sensation of his tongue slowly swirling around your hardening peaks. He moaned shamelessly at the texture and taste of them. "I will be sure to enjoy these until our child needs them," he muttered.

Up until that moment, you somehow forgot what the two of you were actually doing, but instead of being nervous, the thought of your god impregnating you turned you on even more than you already were. Loki started kissing his way down your chest just as you had done earlier. When he got to neatly groomed, short hairs that decorated your cunt, he placed deep, loving kisses on the area where your child would grow once conceived. You bent your knees for him, and Loki wasted no time in diving in – holding your thighs far apart and as wide as they could go with his hands. He chuckled as you writhed beneath him, and you grabbed hold of his dark locks, pulling him as close as you could to your aching, needy core. Loki inserted his tongue as deep as he could into your entrance – massaging what he could reach. You couldn't help but throw your head back and moan at the stimulation. Soon, you felt his cock line up to your entrance, and he crawled up to you to plant a kiss on your swollen lips.

"I love you," he hummed in your ear before placing a kiss on your cheek.

"I love you," you answered through your panting. "Please, Loki," you started to beg.

Without another word and with a deep kiss, Loki slowly entered you in one easy motion. Both of you moaned at the feeling of being one, and he threw your legs over his shoulders so he could reach your g-spot better. You pulled his face to yours and kissed him as hard as you could – trying to convey your love to him. His hands found their way to the back of your head, and he held it carefully with his strong hands. Loki slowly moved in and out of you, driving you closer to your climax by the second.

"Do you like that?" he growled in your ear.

"Yes," you managed to sigh. "Don't stop. Please."

He chuckled with a deep voice. "Oh, my love, I don't intend to." He placed a kiss where your neck met your chest. "I'm going to ensure that you are well sated." Then he took one of your nipples into his mouth. "I'm going to make sure that your pussy is overflowing with my seed." His mouth found its way to the other nipple. "I won't quit until I'm certain that you carry my heir."

Those words coming from him were enough to send you over the edge into a blinding, orgasmic bliss. You threw your head back, arched your back off the bed, and clawed at Loki's back – driving him to ravage you harder. Screaming his name at you felt your walls clench around his cock; you could also feel yourself squirting on him – coating him with your cream. He guided you through your orgasm and slowed his pace as you began to come back. Your eyes opened, and for a few seconds, everything was a blur, but when you saw Loki smiling down at you, you moaned, and your sight returned. That was the first orgasm of many to come that night. Over and over, Loki pushed you over the edge – keeping to his word on making sure you were beyond satisfied.

Loki could tell that you were becoming exhausted and that you were starting to become sore from his repeated thrusting, so Loki decided that he would let you ride him for the final round of the night. You straddled him, but instead of lying on his back, Loki sat up so that you were on his lap. For the final time that night, his cock slowly entered your well-fucked cunt, and both of you sighed at the feeling. He let you set the pace, helping you by holding your hips and moving you up and down on his cock – never going faster than you wanted.

"Come in me," you whispered to him, holding your forehead to his – both drenched in sweat.

Loki smiled and stilled in you – brushing your hair behind your ears. "Gladly," he replied as he started moving with you again.

You could feel him start to shake, and his thrusts became more uneven. At the last moment, you leaned back and pulled him down on top of you – wanting him to take control. He happily obliged, and you wrapped your legs around his back – locking your ankles to hold him as close as possible. He moved a little bit faster – getting himself around the last corner, and then he desperately reached for your face. He grabbed your chin with his hand and gently turned your head so that he could easily capture your lips. As he did, you heard him let out a small moan – one that grew much louder once he started spilling himself inside you for the last time that night. It was clear that he had been controlling himself all night, waiting until this moment to truly go over the edge. You could feel his warm seed filling you up, so much so that you felt the overflow start to come back out, but Loki just thrust himself back in. Your walls throbbing around him only made his orgasm more intense, and the sounds of your fluids mixing were almost as loud as your moans of pleasure.

"I love you, Y/N," he whispered on your lips.

He had tears in his eyes, as did you. "I love you, Loki," you whispered back, placing a kiss on his nose. "Thank you."

2 Months Later

Your face was glowing, your smile brighter than it had ever been as you made your way to the bedchamber that you and Loki shared. You were practically skipping your way there. Finally, you were at the door and went to open it but stopped – suddenly feeling a wave of anxiety wash over you. What were you going to say? How were you going to say it? What would his reaction be? You didn't have much time to think about it because Loki must have heard your footsteps. He opened the door and looked at you.

"Did you forget how to open a door?" he teased you, walking back into the room with you slowly following. You kept quiet and tried to get your thoughts in order. "Babe?"

"Sorry," you shook your head and smiled. "No, I just...it's," Loki looked at you with a raised eyebrow, confused at your hesitation. Finally, you exhaled a deep breath and spoke. "I'm pregnant."

You watched his face for a reaction, which at first was just a blank stare with rapidly blinking eyes. Eventually, a smile crept across his face, and his eyes glistened with tears.

"Really?" he asked, trying to hold back his excitement, afraid that you may be tricking him. You bit your lip and nodded rapidly. "Oh my God," he sighed and picked you up into his arms – planting a kiss on your lips followed by small pecks all over your face. "This is amazing," he said, his voice muffled in your hair. "Holy..." Finally, he put you back down on your feet and guided you over to the bed. "May I?" he asked as his hand hovered over the non-existent baby bump.

"Yes," you nodded quietly. Loki placed his large hand flat against your stomach and smiled as he thought about the baby growing within. "It's about the size of a pea," you told him.

"It won't be for long," he answered, looking up to your eyes while leaving his hand in its place. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," you chuckled. "Um, excited, scared, tired."

Immediately, Loki moved to let you lie down on the bed. "Then my queen shall rest," he insisted.

You giggled. "Loki, it's fine," you told him. "I'm just a little sleepy."

"Any nausea?" he asked with worry. "Tell me if you're nauseous, and I'll have the healers bring anything that will help."

"My love," you chuckled, placing your hands on his shoulders. "I'm fine," you swore. He looked at you skeptically but finally relented.

"You'll tell me that moment you aren't, right, lovebug?" he asked, his eyes wide and written with concern. You nodded and bent down to kiss him. "Also, if anyone does anything you don't wish to be done, just let me know, and I'll – "

You cut him off by pushing him backward on the bed and straddling his lap. "My husband worries too much," you whispered in his ear. "I think he needs to relax a little."

"I cannot help it," he answered. "My wife carries our child."

7 Months Later

"I am so sorry, Thor," you apologized as your dragged Loki away from his older brother. "Please, forgive him – he's not in his right mind."

"Next time, I swear I'll kill you!" Loki yelled, finally giving up the fight with you and exiting the room.

"Loki!" you yelled, stopping Loki from walking away. "Get back here. Now!"

Loki turned around and tried to wrap you in his arms, but you backed away. "Love?"

You scoffed and shook your head. "Seriously?" you asked. "What is your problem?"

Loki looked offended. "My brother could have hurt you!" he defended himself. "Hurt our daughter!"

"Oh my God," you rolled your eyes. "Loki, it was just a hug. That's it. We're fine."

"I don't care," he continued to argue. "Our daughter is growing within you, and I won't risk any harm to either of you." Tears started to gather in your eyes, and Loki quickly closed the gap between the two of you. "Lovebug, come here," he said softly as he pulled you into his arms and rocked you gently. "I apologize for my behavior," he started, placing a cheek on the top of your head. "I just...I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to either of you." He placed a hand on your stomach that held your daughter and wiped your tears with the other. "I can't help being protective of you."

"You're not being protective, Loki," you quietly retorted, wiping the last of your tears with the back of your hand. "You're being overprotective."

"Why is that a bad thing?" he asked, desperate for an answer. "Why is it bad for me to want to protect the two loves of my life?"

"It's not," you sniffled. "But you're attacking your own brother for just giving me a hug," you pointed out. "You and I both know that Thor would do anything to protect his niece."

"You're right," he conceded. "I may have been a bit over the top."

"A bit?" you scoffed.

"Okay, a lot," Loki finally admitted.

"Now, go apologize to him," you ordered.

Loki easily complied with your request, and he walked back into the room. As the door closed behind him, you felt a cramp in your stomach. You grabbed and massaged it – trying to soothe it, but it didn't want to go away. Out of nowhere, the cramp grew to a more painful feeling, and you leaned against a column to steady yourself – taking deep breaths and waiting for it to go away. During your pregnancy, you had more gas than you thought you would, but this was not that. You were certain of that fact when you felt a gush of water spill between your legs and onto the floor.

"Uh oh," you mumbled to yourself. In a panic, you turned your head towards the door and wished for Loki to walk back through it. "Oh, come on," you hissed through gritted teeth. "You never want to socialize." Afraid to move, you leaned on the column for a few more minutes, but you decided it was best to head back towards the gathering – Loki was probably thinking you were going to come back. To your relief, a guard approached you as you slowly made your way down the wall and towards the door.

"Princess Y/N," he called out, running over to you. "Are you alright?"

"No," you sighed, pointing at your stomach and the wet trail you left. "Loki – go get Loki."

Understanding the urgency, the guard sprinted towards the room where everyone was gathering and called out on his way.

"Prince Loki! The princess is in labor!" he yelled loudly.

Loki must have heard him because he quickly opened the door, letting it slam against the wall, and Thor came out behind him, followed by their parents.

"Loki," you whined as he picked you up in his arms. You wrapped your arms around his neck, and he started running towards where the healers were. "Loki, she's coming. It hurts," you cried.

"I know, my love," he said softly, trying to hide his own anxiety. "It's going to be alright."

Thor, Frigga, and Odin closely followed Loki as he carried you to the healers. Once the two of you arrived, you were placed on a bed, and the healers examined you – determining how long it would be until your daughter would be born. The three family members were able to see you before your contractions grew too close, and Loki made it clear that he would not leave your bedside for anything. You grabbed for his hand and squeezed it as one of the worst contractions came.

"Are you ready, Princess Y/N?" one of the healers asked, wanting to make sure you were prepared for your daughter to be born. You nodded, unable to speak due to focusing on your breathing. Carefully, the healers placed each of your feet in the stirrups at the bottom of the bed and readied themselves for the birth of the new royal family member.

"I'm right here," Loki whispered, placing a kiss on the side of your head. "You can do this – just squeeze my hands." He wrapped his other arm around your shoulder so that you could reach up and grab his other hand, using both to help with the pain.

The healer delivering the baby counted down, and once she reached zero, you took a deep breath in and push down into the bed as hard as you could.

Delivering yours and Loki's daughter took a surprising twenty-five minutes, and it was the most painful, bloodiest, difficult, yet happiest twenty-five minutes of your life. After the final push, you felt her slide out of you and into the healer's arms, who immediately placed her on your chest that was only covered by a blanket. For a few seconds, she let out a wail, but it quickly subsided, and she began to coo the best she could.

"Oh my God," you gasped through tears and panting breaths. "Loki, look."

Loki placed a kiss on your cheek and rubbed your daughter's bloody head. "She's perfect." She looked like her father – pale skin and dark hair. Hopefully, when she opened her eyes, they would be the same magnificent blue. "Thank you," he whispered.

"I was wrong," you said flatly as you admired the small being squirming in your arms.

"About what, lovebug?" he asked, similarly admiring the beauty you held.

You looked over at him and smiled wide, placing a kiss on his lips. "There's no such thing as overprotective."

[lovclyboncs]

Everything I Wanted (Todoroki x Reader) Soulmate Au

inspired by Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish.

TW! Mentions of contemplated suicide and insecure thought that could be triggering.

soulmate Au! Where your soulmate tattoo appears on your wrist after you touch your soulmate for the first time.

F!reader x Todoroki

F!reader x Bakugou (brotp)

Plot: the reader is Todoroki’s soulmate, but he doesn’t want to let some mystical ink on his wrist dictate who he should love, so he rejects reader as his soulmate. This story is about how reader first reacted to the rejection and how slowly reader lets herself heal, but what the universe wants it will get.

Part two out now!

This is my very first post on here! I hope you guys enjoy!

I had a dream I got everything I wanted Not what you’d think And if I’m bein’ honest It might’ve been a nightmare To anyone who might care

Every night you’d wake up drenched in sweat, panting as you tried to calm your breathing, tears staining your rosy cheeks. Every night you had the same nightmare, you wished it was just your mind overthinking, but sadly it wasn’t. Even in your dreams you’d replay that memory in your head over and over again.

“ I’m sorry (y/l/n), but even if your name is tattooed on my wrist and even if fate says we are meant to be together, I can’t return your feelings. My heart belongs to another. I’m truly sorry if I’m not what you expected as a soulmate.” He told you with nothing but sincerity in his voice. The sad and hurtful truth. 

“I-It’s okay. I understand Todoroki-san. Don’t worry about me I’ll be fine” You said holding in the need to cry, and the need to let the crawling feeling in your throat free, to scream and yell how once again this world was nothing but cruel. 

He gave a slight nod of his head before walking away from you. His other half as written by the universe and written on your left wrist.

You looked down at the floor clenching your fists and look up once again to see him standing with the rest of the A-1 class who was chatting as they waited for class to resume. A lone tear raced down your face.

“I’ll be fine” You whispered to yourself.

‘I have to be’ you thought.

As a young girl all you ever did was fantasize about your soulmate. You thought it would  be a dream come true for you when you would finally get to meet them. You would get your happily ever after like in those princess tales you’d love to read before going to bed. You thought you’d have the perfect white picket fence life to look forward to. 

As a young foolish girl you thought life would be easy.

you didn’t know your parents were going to sacrifice their lives to save others.

you didn't know that you weren’t quirkless and that your parents had been using ‘vitamins’ to suppress your quirk because of how dangerous it was when your emotions went haywire.

you didn't know that it wouldn’t get better contrary to what your therapist would tell you.

you didn’t know that you weren’t going to make as many friends as you had hoped you would.

and what hurt the most was that you didn’t know your soulmate wasn’t going to be your knight in shining armor like you had hoped. 

Thought I could fly (fly) So I stepped off the Golden, mm Nobody cried (cried, cried, cried, cried) Nobody even noticed I saw them standing right there Kinda thought they might care (might care, might care) 

It had been a month since Todoroki rejected you as his soulmate. You thought you could've gotten over it  but as always it seemed like the universe wanted to punish you for just existing. You didn’t participate in class anymore, You made sure to cover your soulmate tattoo so that no one would accidentally look at it, you didn’t tare your gaze from the floor, you thought that  it wouldn't hurt as much if you didn't have to look at him, but then the rumors started spreading and then the rumors weren't so much of a rumor. 

“ Todoroki and Momo made it official!”

“ I knew they were soulmates, I mean just look at how perfect they look together.”

“ Did you see the picture Momo posted of their soulmate tattoos? I'm so jealous!”

It was all too much for you, so you ran and you ran until you found yourself on the rooftop of U.A. and you let the tears you were holding in fall. 

You let the monster crawling at your throat free, letting yourself scream, letting yourself voice the hurt you had been bottling up.

why weren't you good enough for anyone?

not good enough for your parents to live for, they would rather die for others than to live for you. 

not good enough for your classmates, they barley talked to you or invited you to places like they did with each other. 

not good enough for your soulmate to want you. hell he’d rather cover you up than let people know fate had chosen you for him, were you so disgusting that you weren't even worth mentioning as the soulmate he rejected?

“stop” you whispered to your thoughts.

“ please just stop” your voice sounded hoarse.

“I just wanted everything to stop. To end” you said louder to no one, because no one was there, because no one cared. 

you slowly walked towards the edge of the roof and looked down at the ground.

your eyes were void of anything, they looked empty.

shakily you put one foot out into the nothingness, into the only thing that could stop you from letting the pain overwhelm you. you closed your eyes ready to fly.

‘This world is so cruel and yet so beautiful’ you thought before letting your eyes snap open and gasping.

your eyes regained a light and tears began to swell once again, you let yourself fall backwards away from the edge of the building.

Yes the world was cruel and life wasn't fair, but it was also beautiful. there was still so much you wanted to experience, still so much that would be worthwhile. 

after sitting on the floor for what felt like hours, you heard the distance sound of the bell signaling the end of lunch. you slowly picked yourself of the ground and cleaned your tears with the sleeve of your uniform jacket. 

you made your way back to class 1-A. you were the last one to walk in, and some of your classmates glanced up at you, but they didn’t say anything about your puffy red eyes, they didn’t ask why you weren’t at lunch, they didn’t ask how your day was going so far, they didn’t ask if you were okay. 

because you were not okay.

you once again felt a heaviness in your chest. 

you thought they would care at least a bit, they were heroes in training after all, yet it seemed like they hadn’t even noticed.

they hadn’t even noticed your absence and maybe they didn’t mind it in the slightest. 

I had a dream I got everything I wanted But when I wake up, I see You with me

Maybe you were too wrapped up in your own mind or maybe you finally lost it, but for the life of you, you couldn’t figure out how you ended up like this. Eating spicy noodles quietly with your class’ very own lord explosion murder sitting across from you.

If you were to ask Bakugou why he demanded you have lunch with him, he’d say it was because your dumbass face was the only one he could stand enough to willingly share his homemade noodles with, and if you were to ask him why he was sharing noodles in the first place, he would tell you to shut the hell up and just eat without questioning him.

What Bakugou would never admit is that when he was roaming the school grounds during lunch two weeks ago he saw you standing at the very edge. He stood frozen in place, not sure of what he could do, but before he could will himself to move he saw how you feel backwards and out of his sight. He knew why he froze because he remembered a comment he made to deku before they entered U.A. He obviously didn’t mean it, but seeing you so willingly to just dive of a building made something in him feel guilt for making such an insensitive comment even if it was to deku.

He really didn’t know you well. He knew that he had never actually seen your quirk in action though probably more than half of the class could relate to that since you never really used it. He knew pretty much that he didn’t know you at all and that unsettled him. Sure he wasn’t the most sociable guy or easiest to approach, but he at least knew a couple of things about each of his classmates friends.

So he decided to pay more attention to you, he noticed how you really didn’t talk to any of your classmates and how they wouldn’t try to include you in their conversations. He noticed you always walked with your head down not really looking at where you were going. He noticed the bags under your eyes making themselves more prominent. He noticed how sometimes when you would space out in class you’d be staring at the back of the class where the half and half bastard would sit. He became aware of your being but he still didn’t know how to approach you.

The opportunity came after an awkward encounter.

Everyone (or so you thought) had gone out to who knows where and like always you hadn’t been invited. You decided to train for a little while. You had been slowly progressing with being able to control your quirk, but after your conversation with Todoroki you were back at square one. Your emotions were a train wreck making it hard to control your quirk. Becoming frustrated with yourself you decided to call it a day but since you were sweaty you went to take a shower first. You forgot to take your clothes with you, and since you were by yourself in the dorms you didn’t think it would be that big of a deal if you ran to your room. Midway there you bumped into a wall that wasn’t there this morning. You looked up and there was Bakugou looking down at you.

‘Oh shit I’m going to die’ you thought but then you saw Bakugou frown as he looked directly at your uncovered wrist.

‘Shouto Todoroki’ Bakugou narrowed his eyes. He finally understood why you had been acting more closed off than usual, and maybe if you had looked a little harder you wouldve seen the understanding in them.

“Sor-” you began to say but he cut you off

“get dressed and meet me in the kitchen” he said before walking away.

After that day things changed for you. Who knew eating noodles in silence with an angry blonde could set you on your path to healing?

Every time you saw them holding hands you didn't have enough time to let yourself question what you could have done for that to be you.

“hey dumbass hurry up or I’ll kill you” the red eye blonde would yell at you once he noticed you lagging behind. Making you forget about the black ink on your wrist and making you worry about how bakugou was going to react to you getting a C- on the test he spent a whole afternoon helping you study for.

And you say, “As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you Don’t wanna lie here, but you can learn to If I could change the way that you see yourself You wouldn’t wonder why you’re here, they don’t deserve you”

It was close to the end of the school year and if you were to say that much hadn’t changed you’d be lying. 

thanks to practing your quirk with bakugou and him suggesting meditation to help you stay calm you were finally able to control your quirk enough to use it without fear around others.

Through him you also became friends with the rest of the bakusquad and they helped you warm up to the others.

all the second guessing and the comparing yourself to others didn’t cross your mind often anymore. 

unbeknownst to you every time you peeled off the layers of insecuirty that held you back from expressing yourself bakugou would smile glad that you,just like him, could get passed the pain left by an unrequited soulmate bond.

also unbeknownst to you, as you began getting along with the rest of the class and opening up, he couldn’t help but be captivated by some of your quirks. How you would help the likes of denki study even when you weren’t better off yourself, how you were the only one who entertained Midoriya’s rambling and even added comentary.

He began to get to know you and he could see how the universe could’ve blessed him with a soulmate such as yourself. you were the complete opposite of what he was used to, the todoroki home wasn’t exactly the most affectionate.

He was seeing you bloom right before his eyes and all he could feel was guilt as he diverted his eyes to look at his left wrist.

‘Momo Yaoyorozu’

He softly caressed his thumb over the name and even with his soft touch the fake dark ink smuged.

He thought he had what he wanted.

He thought the universe had been wrong. 

He thought it was for the best.

but as he saw you bickering with bakugou he found himself wondering what he could’ve done for that to be him, for you to be open with him like that.

he knew he was wrong but he was too far in to fix it.

If I knew it all then would I do it again? Would I do it again?

lastly Todoroki knew that even if you found it in yourself to forgive him, he still wouldn’t deserve you. 

Thank you so much for reading this far if you did! I don’t know why I couldn’t get this out of my head and so here it is. Also I threw in an AOT reference to cope with the pain.

[tomtenadia]

Blind mistake

Rowaelin month - day 8

So, this fic was fighting me at the beginning. as I started, deleted and restarted a million times.

Then slowly the idea came and here it is. What I was not expecting was to write a A Little Braver AU.

Aelin and Rowan meet under different circumstances and are two different people from thee actual story. Aelin is still the captain at east station and Rowan still the airforce captain.

Yes, this is a happier fic but as Aelin said in KoA... she loved Rowan because it was him, the man who had known pain as deep as hers.

IN order to enjoy this fic you do not need to have read ALB. A part from Pete popping up for a brief second at the end, this is a complete stand alone story and no knowledge of ALB is needed.

Rowan sighed. His love life sucked so much that he ended up using a dating app. Since Lyria dumped him a year before he had been struggling to go back in the game. He had been on a few dates but so far none of the women he met had sparked his curiosity. Far too bland and with almost no personality or far too bothered by looks. Some of them had been downright stupid and he had been a gentleman and played along when all he wanted to do was run away screaming. The last nightmare had been a woman called Remelle who Lorcan had recommended to him. He had to feign food poisoning and pay the chef to let him escape from the back of the restaurant to flee the monster. He had paid the bill sneakily, and once home he had insulted Lorcan and his poor taste in women.

Now he was again in a restaurant, ready for probably another fiasco. He and the woman had chatted a bit and she had seemed interesting so he had dared to ask her out and she had accepted. On the paper it was all good. In reality he was getting ready for another crazy escape. Maybe he should just give up and live alone and become a grumpy old man.

He had a kingsflame on the table near him, their code to recognise each other at the restaurant. The fact that they knew very little about each other made him nervous. It was a recipe for disaster. He knew she was a personal shopper and that she liked movies and music. He was really dreading the encounter now, and started to realise that perhaps it had been a mistake. She could have lied.

Until he raised his head and he noticed the woman who had just entered the restaurant. He then spotted the flower pinned on her green dress as they had agreed. Gods, the woman was way too hot for him. There was a catch somewhere. His heart raced when realisation dawned on her face and she waved and started to walk to him. The smile. Damn, the smile could stop a man’s heart. The woman walking toward him was a goddess. He was expecting her to turn away for another table until she sat down in front of him at his table. Rowan was speechless.

“Sorry, I am late. Accident on the ring road. I stopped to give a hand to west station.” She used her hand to brush off the smudge of grease he had only just noticed she had.

“You stopped?”

“Yes,” she looked at him with a strange light in her eyes “I am a firefighter. I am the captain at east station.”

Rowan blinked twice. Shit. She was the wrong woman. She was not here for him. Of course. It was too good to be true. She had sat at the wrong table and a part of him was sad.

“I am Aelin.” she said and he knew that it had dawned on her as well that he was not her date “You are not Chaol.”

Rowan shook his head “I am Rowan.”

“Holy shit. I saw the kingsflame. The restaurant. And you smiled at me when I came in. I just assumed...” He did not want her to go. 

“Ach, I was having second thoughts anyway.” He shrugged.

In that moment the waiter came and they were hesitant for a moment then Aelin grabbed the menu and started ordering, surprising him. Rowan got some wine for both and they placed as well their order.

“Our dates are late anyway. Maybe stuck in the horrendous traffic out there.”

“You will not hear me complain.” Said Rowan with a smile “so, you stopped and helped?”

Aelin nodded, sipping a bit of her wine “I couldn’t resist it. West station was there but there were so many cars involved that I had to something. The traffic wasn’t moving anyway.”

Rowan could not believe the woman in front of him. Not only she was a goddess. She had even stopped to help her colleagues save people from a car crash on her way to a date. Where had she been all his life?

The waiter came with their order and smiled at the expression of joy when Aelin looked at the amount of food in front of her. Another point for her. She had an appetite. He had no need of another date ordering a boring salad. He was a healthy eater but loved a woman with an appetite, especially because he loved cooking.

“So Rowan, what do you do?” She asked him while tackling the gigantic prawn on her seafood tagliatelle.

“I am an airforce pilot. I am a captain.”

Her face lit up “as in the uniform and all? And the awesome planes?”

Rowan nodded.

Aelin was about to take another sip of her wine when two figures stopped at their table. A brown-haired man and a blonde woman. Both had a kingsflames pinned on their dresses.

“Excuse me but you are with my date.” Said the stranger.

Rowan looked up from his risotto “finders keepers.”

“And he is my date.” Said the woman in a shrill voice.

“What he said.” Added Aelin while eating another prawn.

“We got stuck in traffic. There is a massive road accident on the ring road.” Chaol complained, not letting it go.

“Yeah I know. I stopped to help and I still made it here before you.”

“So what does this mean?” Asked Chaol.

Aelin stared at Rowan. It was a no brainer. Chaol was cute but Rowan was sex on two legs. Between the silver hair and the green eyes he ticked all of the boxes. And he was a pilot. Chaol was an accountant.

“You two can go on a date together.” She suggested and hoped they took the hint.

“That is rude.”

“Oh shoot,” said Aelin covering her mouth in fake surprise “I must have left the fucks I have to give in my bunker gear.”

Chaol looked at her aghast. The blonde woman turned on her heels and left.

“You missed an opportunity.” He added before he left as well.

As soon as he left Rowan burst into laughter and she joined him “no fucks to give…” he said trying to catch his breath “I have to steal this when my CO drives me nuts.”

“Ansel, one of my firefighters, she taught me that.”

“It’s fucking perfect.” 

And both resumed their dinner without the awkwardness of a blind date. No stupid questions like how many siblings do you have or what is your favourite colour. No, with Rowan there had been a connection from the start and the joke had been the final proof.

“Most guys would have left running at my joke. I have a big and foul mouth. Not very lady-like.” She apologised. “I work in a male dominated place. Apart from Ansel and my two paramedics, I am surrounded by guys and well, they are not easily scared.”

Rowan chuckled “I am in the military. My CO uses fuck you as a term of endearment and one of my lieutenants has the record for the most innuendos in a sentence.”

“How many?” Asked Aelin curios.

“Ten.”

“No friggin’ way.”

Rowan nodded solemnly. Then looked at her and he was glad she sat at his table mistaking him for another man. They had known each other only for twenty minutes but he was dumbstruck by the woman.

She was fierce, intelligent and with a wicked sense of humour.

The meal had been perfect. Aelin had polished every single plate in front of her and also ordered dessert. And when she offered to pay for half the bill he had smiled. He had plenty of dates where the woman didn’t even offer. She took it for granted that he, being the man, was the one paying. He had no issues with that, he was happy to pay, but the fact that Aelin offered made him realise that she was different.

They left the restaurant and he gasped when he saw a red pickup reading Terrasen fire department on its livery, parked just outside the restaurant.

“Way to scare the patrons away.” He joked.

“Sorry. Yesterday I took a lift to work from a colleague and I forgot for a moment that I had a set the date for tonight after my shift. So I grabbed my work pickup to get here. I need to go back to the firehouse and return it.”

“I’ll follow, you drop off the pickup and then I drive you home.”

“I can take a cab, you don’t have to come all the way to the station and back.”

“Humour me,” he said giving her a beautiful smile and she accepted.

Ten minutes later they were at east station and she parked the pickup in its corner at the side and out of the way.

She saw Rowan getting off the car.

“Welcome to east station.” She said extending her arms. She pushed a button and the rolling doors slid up and two big trucks appeared in front of him. He had always wanted to see one up close.

“Cap,” said a man at her back “what are you doing here? I thought you were on a date?” He smiled “that bad? I told you accountants were a bad idea.”

Aelin laughed “looks like I got myself an airforce pilot instead.” She winked at him and Rowan’s heart skipped a beat.

“I’ll tell you next shift, Pete. I just brought back the pickup before Dorian kills me.”

She waved at her relief captain and followed Rowan in his car and told him her address.

While he drove she studied him. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans, a shirt and a black leather jacket. She should have guessed he was military. Aedion had the same posture and he was ex-army.

“Which house?” Asked Rowan, waking her up from her thoughts.

“The one with the blue door.”

He parked and walked with her up to the door “I had so much fun tonight,” she said to him, not wanting him to leave her.

“I am so glad that you sat at the wrong table. This was the best blind date ever.” He looked at her and wanted to kiss her so badly but they had just met and he did not want to pass a a pig.

She moved a step toward him “I am glad too.” And her lips brushed his cheek in a kiss “perhaps we could go on a proper date. One where we are actually meant to meet each other.”

Rowan sighed relieved “It would make me very happy.”

Aelin rummaged in her bag until she found a pen then grabbed his wrist and pulled up his cuff a bit and wrote down two numbers.

“The first one is my personal mobile number. The second one is the direct number to my office. I am known to leave my mobile in my bunker gear.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me know a date and if I am not free we can find a better one. Us firefighters have crazy long shifts so I need to be off.”

He took her pen and her wrist and wrote his number “then you text me. A day that you are off shift. I work regular hours. This makes more sense.”

He took a step down from the few step and she hated the idea of him leaving.

“Goodnight, Rowan.” She opened the door and looked at him one last time.

Rowan waited for her to disappear behind the door and then went back to his car and was grateful for the best blind mistake of his life.

[levicanpunchme]

Hi i found your profile today and I read all of it I am SO IN LOVE WITH YOUR WRITING!!💕Hope u are doing well and getting enough rest!Can i please request Levixfem!reader where they watch scary movie and reader is scared during and after the horror movie maybe u can do hc with levi or one shot!If u like the idea and u are ok to do it can u put much fluff?💕🥺

Thank you for suggesting! Hope you enjoy ;)

——————————————————————

Levi X Y/N

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Warning: Contains a tiny make-out description

Movie Night Gone Right

The air seemed to be drowning in thick tension, terror bustling in your veins as you held onto the edge of your blanket. You scoffed to yourself: modern technology had really evolved so much: the large television screen amplified every emotion especially whilst watching horror movies. It felt like the heinous predators would jump out of the screen any moment, making you piss yourself.

The darkness in the room and eerie music from the television made it impossible for your mind to gravitate elsewhere. Your body was taut as you held your breath while the stupid main characters died one after another in the haunted villa.

You looked to your far right at your boyfriend, who seemed quite unaffected by the countless jump scares. Even whilst watching a terrifying movie, you didn’t see him bat an eye.

He was either too brave or-borderline sociopathic. You hoped for the former.

“Why’re you always choosing horror movies on our date nights, Levi?” You bitterly muttered, your annoyance visible in your tone. Every weekend, you both watched a new movie and he chose horror every damn time.

Your boyfriend looked away from the screen, his wolf-like eyes reading yours. His dark black hair attractively fell like curtains on his forehead, disheveled and messy.

“Because they’re fun,” he monotonously replied.

His response made you speechless. “Fun? What part of large scale man-slaughter and cannibalism, fun?” You cried, disturbed at his reasoning. Horror movies just gave you vivid nightmares and trauma. You usually spent weekend nights with Levi just because you were too scared to head back to your dorm.

Levi’s lips curled into an unapologetic smirk as he glanced back to the television screen. You glared at him narrowly and then resumed watching the movie. A few minutes in, another terrifying scream erupted from the television and your body grew cold, your blanket now scrunched within your clenched fists.

“You’re shaking,” Levi’s soft voice pulled you out of the gory massacres of the movie. He swiftly scooted closer to you as his arm found its way around the small of your back. He wrapped you close to him, your face resting against his chest.

Your chest ached with joy as you heard his heartbeat, trashing against your frame, sending vibrations through your body. His familiar soapy scent washed over you and ignited a deep fire within the pit of your stomach. Your scent mixing with his made your toes curl in pleasure. You liked stealing some of his sweatshirts to take them back to your dorm just to smell him on you. The warmth of his breath cascading down your forehead sent tingles down your spine, making your heart ache with jitters. It was the feeling of being beside him that gave you pleasure.

The movie watching experience was ten times better with Levi holding your body.

Levi’s arm around your frame never loosened. Your warmth embracing him gave him the unfamiliar feeling of a home. His head was filled with you alone, so much so that he didn’t even know who the hell the main characters were in the movie; a week of pent up frustration from not seeing you starting to quench as your warmth diffused into him, making him feel like he were a part of you.

He started dating you a few months ago and it was crazy how damn clingy he had gotten in just a matter of months. At first, he never intended on letting a woman into his territory but you defeated the strong walls that were guarding his heart. When he tasted the sweetness of your lips, he forgot every promise he had made to himself and felt his walls shatter into nothingness.

Levi wanted to snatch you away from the shackles of your university which constantly demanded your attention, keeping you busy with assignments and exams; he wished to burn the whole building down along with your dorm so you could live with him, giving him the epiphany of waking up beside you. He hated anything which took you away from him. Selfish, yes but he couldn’t help it.

He dug his nose into your silky hair, acting subtle so you wouldn’t catch onto his motives. He wanted to run his fingers down the long strands all day, but he couldn’t. No matter how weak you had him, he didn’t want that side to be seen by you.

If he scared you away with his carelessness, he’d throw himself off a rooftop.

He surveyed you, and rechecked for any signs of awareness but seeing the intense emotions in your eyes, he realised you were sucked up into the haunted world of the movie.

He silently smiled to himself and inhaled your scent. Your fragrance was so therapeutic, a fresh breeze of comfort to his exhausted body. His insides squeezed in joy. You were like a heavenly addiction, fulfilling his needs, comforting his emotions.

“Levi, that woman was the imposter all along!” Automatically, his eyes regained its indifference, the smile of his lips disintegrating as he peeled his eyes away from you to the screen.

You looked up at him while snuggling in his chest. Levi pretended to be immersed within the movie and then looked down at you; he almost stopped breathing seeing your lustrous, wide eyes looking up at him like he were the only one on this planet. His breathing became shallow as he quickly nodded, and looked away from you.

“Levi...” you noticed his heaving chest.

You stared at him doubtfully and then it dawned upon you. His eyes were cold but his body said otherwise. He was so warm and his heart was beating so heavily, your stomach flooded with a mass of butterflies.

“Levi, who’s the imposter?” Your heart was skipping a beat as you tried confirming your doubts.

He visibly froze, your question catching him off guard. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed his nervousness like a deer caught in headlights.

“Why're you asking me that? Aren’t you watching?” He counterattacked, hoping this would divert your attention.

You stared at him for a good minute and then looked at the television screen. “Yeah but I was just wondering if you ever doubted that white haired lady. She looked so innocent, asking for help and stuff.” You watched his reaction, waiting for his response.

“Yeah, didn’t expect that.”

Chills travelled down your spine as you realised what had been happening these past few weeks: why he always suggested on watching horror movies; why he kept on asking you when will your semester end; why he didn’t like going out to the shopping mall for dates. Everything started making sense.

“Levi, there is no white haired lady asking for help in this movie,” your breathy voice made him flinch and tense up. You had never seen Levi outrightly display his emotions but right now, you could see the little rims of his ears going darker red, a pool of redness pumping through his cheeks as his bottom lip trembled.

Processing, you grabbed the remote from his lap and turned the television off. Your heart was thudding against your ribs as you observed Levi’s clenched fist.

“Why’re you making me watch horror movies when you don’t like them yourself?” Your voice was so soft and airy, comforting him.

You were currently having the time of your life, watching your rigid, formal boyfriend emotionally overwhelmed and embarrassed.

“Answer me Levi,” you dared him.

He gripped his nape and sighed, his nose crinkled with reluctance. Very softly, his words held you astounded.

“So you can get scared and hide into my arms.” —you almost gasped, your body shrivelling as a feeling of mystical happiness engulfed your chest. Your heart palpitated as you stared at the man who owned your heart, feeling the corner of your eyes burn.

“Why didn’t you just—say so?” You whispered.

He looked up at you, his eyes hinting of annoyance. “Because,” he muttered, his words caught in his mouth. You waited patiently. You would wait forever for him, only Levi Ackerman.

“I don’t want to scare you off,” his white skin looked so flushed. Seeing him, your body instantly warmed up too.

“Levi,” his name fell from your mouth like butter. Then earnestly, you climbed on his lap, your leg on either sides of him, facing him. The bold response made you fluster, your cheeks flaring up as you stared into the grey mists of his eyes.

His reaction was instant. His body became taut under your heat as he gazed into your eyes with a suffocating intensity. He instinctively pulled you closer, pulling you into him. Closer, closer until two bodies mushed into one, not an inch of space left in between.

“Levi, I want to dwell you in so much love, so much affection that you might get tired of me and throw me away,” you started with confessing.

Both of you were new to a relationship; both had fears and doubts hurdling your paths. How much volume of love do we express? How much of love do we need to hold back? Is there an exact percentage? Will holding his hand make him uninterested? Will pulling you into his arms seem clingy? The questions were numerous; answers, numerous.

Levi’s chest was heaving in a way you never expected. His eyes were darker than usual, thunderously grey and passionate with a whirlwind of emotions erupting loose; his body was hotter and eyelids heavy as he stared at you with an intensity he never let you see before.

“I get excited when you call me to pick me up from uni-when you text me to remind me of our date nights, and when you let me see through your exterior, when you let me explore every side to you.”

It was taking everything in you to not run away and go into hiding. Your words were exposing the sides you kept to yourself but it was time to let go. It was time to let him know exactly who you belong to.

“Levi Ackerman, if it’s you, I’ll give up everything to be by your side.”

Your words were cut short as his hand held the back of your head and like a desperate wolf, he pulled your lips into his. Every fibre of your being sprung to life. It felt like all the happiness of the world was thrown at you so suddenly, you couldn’t contain your emotions. His moist lips feasted on your mouth and impatiently invaded you with his tongue. Your audible panting was almost embarrassing but you could hear him struggle to breath as well. While he rendered you breathless, his mouth drank from within you like a thirsty stray dog. His arms around you had you locked, unable to escape, nor did you want to.

As you panted to inhale some air, his lips peeled off your mouth, up to your eyelid; he kissed one and then the other. He was breathing so heavily with his nose, your heart faltered at the sounds. He ran his fingers down your silky hair strands and dropped tantalising kisses down your cheek, to your chin and your nose. “I-want-to-steal-you-away-from-the-world,” he confessed, in between mind numbing kisses. He then buried his nose inside the crevice of your neck, inhaling you shamelessly. “If I could, I would-absorb-you-within me,” the hurling emotions he had kept inside were pouring out like unforeseen rain.

He kissed your neckline, tasting and inhaling every inch of you. “I can’t get tired of you, y/n,” his soft words tugged at your heart, making your eyes well up. You were so overwhelmed by his love, and your love for him that your vision was becoming hazy.

“Levi, promise to share your true feelings with me?” You asked, your hand finding its way into his undercut, you pulled at his baby hairs, making his eyes screw shut in pleasure, a comforting sigh left his mouth.

He nodded, spellbound by your touch.

You edged your face closer, kissing the high bridge of his nose and each one of his eyebrows.

“So no more, horror movies?” You muttered resentfully against his lips. His eyes opened again and a soft smile illuminated his mouth as he kissed your plump lips again, not getting enough.

“No more horror movies,” he promised.

You giggled lovingly and kissed the corner of his warm mouth affectionately.

“Move in with me.”

You almost fell back, his words pushing you over the edge. You almost thought you misheard him but the glint of honesty in his eyes proved otherwise. He was dead serious.

“Uh—are you sure? I can be very annoying and lazy...” You didn’t think this was a good idea.

He cut you off, annoyance present in his narrow eyes. “I don’t care,” he rasped.

“I can also be quite messy and you don’t like mess-” You knew this excuse might make him reconsider.

His conviction remained unabated. “I’ll help you clean,” he quickly responded.

You held back your giggle. A day ago, if someone had told you that Levi Ackerman would be begging you with his narrow intimidating eyes to move in with him, you would’ve slapped them in the face for lying.

What changes could a day make...

“What if I don’t want to clean,” you pouted, deciding to tease him.

“Fine, I’ll clean for you,” he responded without hesitation and waited eagerly.

You broke into a melodious giggle which made him roll his eyes at you.

“Okay, Mr. Ackerman. I agree,” you casually responded and kissed his jawline.

Levi exuberantly stood up still carrying you in his arms as a huge grin elevated his facial features. “Let’s get your things.” He put you down on your feet and hurried to the table to grab his keys.

“Wait hold on... right now?” You stared at the clock. It was past midnight and your dormitory was probably closed.

Levi nodded eagerly. “Right now. We’ll request them to let us in.” Before you could object, he was already putting on his shoes and grabbing yours so you could gear up.

You stared at your boyfriend: he looked like an eager kid preparing to go to Disneyland after his parents promised him so. You wondered since how long had Levi put his inner childishness and love away, afraid of the consequences. And then Levi pulled you to the sofa, tying your shoes before you could change your mind and dragged you with him all the way to your dormitory in the later hours of the night. After fighting the guards and begging your dormitory manager, he successively managed to get you to pack up your belongings and come live with him starting that very auspicious movie night.

[ikroah]

Whiskey river, take my mind, don't let her memory torture me. Whiskey river, don't run dry, you're all I got, take care of me. —“Whiskey River,” Shotgun Willie (1973)

It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’ #15 - Vegas Outskirts

Collaborative Issue! Guest Colorist: @malpaislegate​ / @socksual-innuendos​

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Notes / Original Pencils / Transcript:

Notes:

MAN that’s gotta hurt!! Volume 2 kicks off with a bang, literally if you count the gunshot and honorifically if you count Socks’ knockout color job on this issue. Look at those lovingly rendered bullet wounds!! Muah!!!

It’s been a relief having a month off from the comic as I handled a bunch of other things but there’s a lot to look forward to in Volume 2, as you can probably tell from that very forboding fist clench at the end there. Will Agnes and Cass get the revenge they’re looking for? Can they make it big in Vegas? Will it keep right on a-hurtin’? Find out next ish as Cass leads Agnes to meet the first of their new “friends.”

Original Pencils:

The pencils for this issue are like an autopsy report of all the things that can go wrong with your art if you don’t plan ahead and pay attention. Listen, friend, to my tale of woe, and learn from my mistakes so they don’t become yours!

First, you can see a lot of places where there’s floating objects, empty backgrounds, and incomplete heads. Part of this is because I always intended to just copy and paste repeated elements across each panel instead of drawing them multiple times, but other times I was forced to just because of my lack of planning. The top three panels on page two, for example, required me to draw the background I’d use for them on a separate page.

Second, you can probably tell that I actually had to flip the two raiders around in the final lineart because I forgot to keep the hands their were holding their guns in consistent—and since I couldn’t flip the middle panel on the second page without ruining the composition, I decided to flip all of their other appearances so that they’d be lefties. I doubt you even can seamlessly wield those particular guns left-handed.

Third, the size of the cart that Agnes and Cass are kneeling behind changes CONSTANTLY and is dramatically oversized from the third page onward. After inking these pages, it took a lot of work to correct the inks and shrink that cart in each panel, but fortunately it came out looking good.

And finally, I completely redrew the second panel on the fifth page because it wasn’t until I had already handed he pages off to my colorist that I realized having a second profile shot of Cass so soon after a first one was just...redundant and lazy-looking. So I went back to my sketchbook and whipped up a much more unique, striking angle (I also just wasn’t satisfied with the quality of my art on that panel, so I’m very glad I redrew it). But again, my failure to plan ahead bit me in the ass and my redraw attempt wound up taking up a lot more space than I thought it would, so after inking it I had to basically surgically remove it from the other inks.

I’ll be honest with you folks: part of the reason that I work in such simple, thick, high-contrast lineart is because it’s very easy to make corrections and adjustments with stuff you could technically color in Microsoft Paint.

Transcript:

EXT. SOMEWHERE IN THE MOJAVE, morning. AGNES SANDS and ROSE OF SHARON CASSIDY stand over the wreckage of a caravan, scattered over a dirt road.

CASS: Hell.

EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE MOJAVE, midday. Looking over a second wrecked caravan, at the bottom of a ditch.

CASS: Fuck.

EXT. PRE-WAR HIGHWAY OUTSIDE OF VEGAS, mid-afternoon. AGNES and CASS survey a third wrecked caravan.

CASS: Shit. The proof is in the pudding. Or the pile of ash, rather. These attacks were done with Van Graff guns for Crimson Caravan caps. I'm sure of it.

As CASS explains her theory to AGNES, a short distance from the caravan two RAIDERS peer at the two of them from inside a barn at a ruined farmstead. They have snake-bite tattoos on the sides of their shaved heads and are holding rifles.

CASS: The scorchmarks and residue in the wreckages? That's energy weapon shit. Plasma and laser. Silver Rush special. Not like it'd be the Brotherhood. And Crimson Caravan must have bankrolled this fucked-up little hunting trip themselves.

The RAIDERS move out from the barn, sneaking up on two passers-by who’ve stopped at the caravan wreckage.

CASS: That explains why they bought me out...they needed the last loose end to saddle up back west with a tidy sum.

(NOTE: *Agnes delivered it and Cass signed it in IKROAH #7—Lou.)

CASS: It's a racket, Agnes: torch the local competition and it's win-win for both the f—

SFX: KRAK

A gunshot rips out from one of the RAIDERS’ rifles and sears across CASS’ shoulder.

CASS (gasping): —uckers.

CASS slumps down beneath the overturned caravan wagon on the road, clutching her shot shoulder.

CASS: —Aaggghghhhhhhh.

AGNES: Cass! Are you—

CASS: Fuck! Agnes, get down you moron!

AGNES ducks behind the cover of the wooden caravan wagon just as another gunshot splinters the top lip of it.

SFX: DTHWAK!

The RAIDERS advance on CASS and AGNES’ position, firing at them from off the road.

SFX: KRAK

AGNES leans over the top of the wagon with her pistol, returning fire.

SFX: BTAK BTAK BTAK

AGNES lands a shot right in one of the RAIDERS’ guts, and she drops her weapon and falls down.

SFX: SPLUT

CASS, leaning out the side of the wagon, takes as careful of aim as she can with her shotgun by holding it with her good arm. Trembling, she fires, connecting with the other RAIDER.

SFX: KBLAM

The would-have-been RAIDERS are dead.

AGNES: ...were those the Van Graffs?

CASS: No. Just some vultures.

CASS leans back behind cover to sit against the bottom of the overturned wagon again, wincing from her shoulder injury.

CASS: Ugghhn.

AGNES (slipping off duffel bag): Cass, your shoulder—

CASS: Yeah, it's been shot. I'm pretty fucking aware.

AGNES (unzipping bag): Quick, can you take your shirt off—

CASS: What!?

AGNES: —so I can dress the wound, Cass!

CASS: Oh! Good! So you weren't coming onto me on what remains of Griffin Wares Caravan.

CASS starts removing her shirt while AGNES produces a bottle of something from her duffel bag, and dampens a rag with its contents.

CASS: And since when are you a fucking field medic, anyway?

AGNES: 2269. NCR Certified.

CASS: What?

AGES: Yeah. I've been one kind of doctor or another since I was six.

CASS: What?

AGNES: Now hold still, this is antiseptic.

CASS: Since you were six!? I...shit, wait, hang on, Agnes—

AGNES pressess the rag onto CASS’ shoulder wound, and CASS winces instinctively. But, confusingly, there isn’t any pain.

CASS: ...isn't this supposed to sting like hell?

AGNES: No, not really. It's an acetic acid solution. Vinegar, basically.

AGNES begins cleaning the wound with the rag.

CASS: I thought you put alcohol on wounds to clean them.

AGNES: That's...a common misconception. It's good for tools, maybe, but too strong for skin. And it can complicate healing if you apply it directly.

CASS: So you're telling me, all my years, I've been wasting good whiskey only making my boo-boos worse?

AGNES: I mean...it's better than nothing in a pinch, but...

CASS: Well, then. Thanks for the lecture, doc. Can you just pass the whiskey anyway? Shoulder still hurts like hell regar—

AGNES hands her the whiskey bottle. She’d already gotten it out.

CASS: —dless. Oh. Thanks.

AGNES unspools a roll of bandages in her hands, then begins wrapping it over CASS’ shoulder and across her chest..

AGNES: So. It's a relatively minor wound, more of a deep graze than a real gunshot.

CASS: You'd know all about real gunshots, huh?

AGNES (unfazed): Uh-huh. I can suture it if necessary, but for now, these bandages will be fine. Just hold still. How do you feel?

CASS: I feel fucking pissed, Agnes!

AGNES recoils, taken aback slightly.

CASS: As I was saying before I got shot in the shoulder—which, however "minor" the wound, is real fucking close to my head, Agnes—this wasn't some random attack. These caravans, my caravan, got hit by the Van Graffs and Crimson Caravan. It ain't just some tragedy anymore. Now I've got names. Places. Faces.

AGNES resumes bandaging CASS.

CASS: I told you—ow! Don't pinch my tit, dammit—

AGNES: I said hold still.

CASS: —I told you, when you told me about this guy who shot you...when I let you drag me out of that fucking outpost...and when we went to Boulder City...that I would do the exact same thing in your shoes. Now, it is the exact same thing. This fucker shoots your eye out, these fuckers ash my caravan...these same fuckers I sold my own goddamn name to on a piece of paper. I mean...what else are we doing out here, Agnes? Getting shot at by Khans and Raiders just for kicks? Are we just fucking around?

AGNES finishes bandaging CASS, then leans back, pensive.

AGNES: No...no, I really guess we’re not.

CASS: That's what I thought. Your friend in Vegas can wait. Help me get mine, and we can get that shitheel together, and that's a prom—

CASS raises her arm  to shake her fist as she speaks, straining her shoulder injury.

CASS: —mmmmmmghhhh. Ooww, oww, oww, oww...

CASS grabs her shoulder in pain while AGNES looks off in the distance and stands up. She looks out towards the horizon—towards VEGAS, and the pre-war casinos and hotels that still gleam and glitter in blinding sunlight.

Her fist clenches. Her brow furrows. Her body tenses, all over, staring at that city, that place.

The caravan wreckage remains alone on the highway, brahmin bones long picked clean by scavengers.

AGNES SANDS IN: IT KEEPS RIGHT ON A HURTIN’

VOLUME 2: MAKE IT BIG IN VEGAS

[cali-holland]

Hubby- Tom Holland One Shot

Pairing: Tom Holland X Reader

Requested by Anonymous: Hello my love! can I get a cute request? just super cute domestic Tom and y/n. Because we all know love isn't just about the grand gestures, but the simple moments or giggling together and making faces in the mirror as you brush your teeth, him stealing a slice of veggie off the chopping board as you get dinner ready, him complaining that you like too many cushions on the bed, the little mumbled 'love you' as you both go to sleep. I'm down for reading anything like that . love your writing :)

Prompt: Tom makes even the simplest of days amazing.

Word Count: 4800

Warnings: Swearing, sexual jokes/innuendos, some pain (Tom gets hit in the balls at one point), LOTS of fluff

A/N: this is for the lovely @cunaeparker​ ‘s writing challenge, the prompt is in bold! I combined it with the request because it just went so well with all the fluff!!

Masterlist   Tom Holland Masterlist

*Gif is not mine*

~~~

The familiar sound of a cell phone buzzing drew you out of your deep sleep. With your eyes still closed, you cuddled closer to Tom’s chest, hoping that the phone would quit ringing soon. He shifted underneath you as he tried to reach his phone on the nightstand, but seeing as you two were tangled up on your side of the bed and there was basically a mountain of pillows on his side, he couldn’t quite grab it without moving away from you.

“Just leave it.” You mumbled, not wanting him (a.k.a. your pillow) to move.

“Love, it’s my mum.” He laughed lightly, the vibrations running through his bare chest to your cheek. He pressed a kiss to your head, before you shifted off him so he could get his phone. He picked up the call and resumed his position as your morning cuddle buddy. You wrapped an arm around his waist and laid your head back on his chest. His free hand mindlessly found its way to play with your hair.

“No, you didn’t wake us.” Tom told his mother, but the raspiness in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by her. He laughed, “Okay, yes, you did.” He paused and you could hear her voice coming through the phone. Tom looked down at you for a moment, “Are we still on for the barbecue this afternoon?”

“We can be?” You answered. You both knew he obviously forgot to mention how his mother invited the two of you to a barbecue.

“Yes, mum, we’ll be there. What do you want us to bring?” He spoke back into the phone. “Vegetables? That’s not broad at all.” You lightly smacked his chest at his sarcasm, and his free hand came down to hold the hand that just hit him, “Okay, yeah we can do a salad.” There was another pause as she spoke to him before he replied, “Y/N would love to make some dessert.” Hearing him sign you up for food, you playfully glared at him. He said goodbye to his mother and tossed his phone to the side. You sat up and straddled his waist on your knees, your hands falling by his head to keep your face above his.

“Looks like we’re going grocery shopping.” Tom smiled up at you innocently, his hands resting on your hips.

“When were you going to tell me your mum invited us over?” You asked.

“Now, I guess,” He shrugged slightly. With his thumbs drawing light circles on your hips, he teasingly added, “When were you going to give me my morning kiss?”

You shrugged in return, but leaned down to kiss him nonetheless. He smiled into the kiss, moving a hand to cradle the back of your head, keeping you in place to continue kissing you.

“Your morning breath’s shit.” He laughed, pulling away from the innocent-turned-a-bit-heated kiss as you sat up straight.

“Yeah, well you have the ugliest bed head I have ever seen.” You teased, ruffling his hair. He caught your wrist, pulling your hand down to in front of his face.

“I believe this hand’s the culprit of that.” He joked, pecking your open palm.

“You weren’t complaining last night.” You shuffled off of him and got out of the bed. Walking over to your shared closet, you started to plan out a nice outfit for the day. “Come on, we gotta go grocery shopping.”

“Wanna shower together? Save time and save water?” Tom suggested, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind.

“You get so horny in the morning.” You laughed.

“I’m needy, not horny.” He insisted before pressing a kiss to your neck. “We’ll be conserving water. C’mon, wifey, think of the planet.”

“Alright, go start the shower.” Both of you knew you would cave like almost every morning, but it didn’t stop him from letting out an excited cheer. He pecked your cheek and left to go warm up the water.

Once you two were showered and dressed, you went to make some bacon and eggs for breakfast while Tom made you both a morning cup of tea.

“Bacon,” You stated, holding out a piece of bacon from your spot by the stove as he fixed you some tea at the island. He leaned over and ate the bacon from your fingers.

“Tasty.” He hummed, turning back to his task.

“It’s bacon, duh.” You laughed, eating a piece of bacon yourself.

“Shit. We don’t have any more milk.” Tom sighed, looking at the blank spot in the fridge where the milk would normally sit. He looked at the two mugs of tea and the bowl of sugar on the counter; without milk, it just wouldn’t be right.

“Did you finish it off?” You asked, knowing he made himself a cup of tea late last night before you two went to bed.

“Damn it, I did.” He let out a groan.

“So we need milk.” You noted, taking out your phone to create a legitimate list for the store; it’d be too long for you to remember everything. “What do we want for dinner tomorrow?”

“Wanna try that lamb recipe you found last week?” He suggested.

“Yeah, can you check what we need for that?”

“You got it.” He nodded and pulled out his phone. You’d sent him the recipe just last week, saying that it looked good and that you two should try to make it sometime. He’d never made lambchops before so he was a bit skeptical, but agreed with you nonetheless. He walked through your kitchen and pantry, searching to make sure you had all of the ingredients, while you continued to finish cooking the eggs and bacon.

“Breakfast done yet?” He asked, finishing his search.

“Yep,” You replied as you dished up the food.

“You’re the best, darling.” Tom beamed, giving you a quick kiss. You grabbed both plates while he gathered the silverware and you both sat down at the small table in your kitchen nook.

“If only we had milk.” He pouted, eating a bite of the eggs.

“Hey, you drank the rest of it.” You reminded him.

“If I remember correctly, you said it was the best cuppa I’d ever made and you drank a good half of that.” He corrected you, but you just shook your head. “Wanna make that chocolate cake for dessert? I know Harry and Sam are going to be expecting it.”

Homemade chocolate cake- your ‘signature’ dessert that all of the Holland boys loved. In fact, it was that very cake that made Tom fall in love with you. The way to his heart was truly through his stomach.

“Why isn’t Sam making anything? He’s the chef.” You laughed, thinking about how Sam was insistent on being the head chef of the family.

“I think he’s actually making bread with some sort of dip.”

“Sam’s making us bread?” Your mouth was already watering at the thought of fresh homemade bread.

“We should try making bread sometime.” Tom offered. You nodded in agreement, you’d never made bread before but it’d be interesting to attempt it with Tom.

With breakfast over, Tom started to load up the dishwasher with your plates and the frying pans while you made your way into the bathroom to start on your makeup. By the time he’d finished and come into the room, you were just about to start your mascara.

“Can I do it?” He asked, an eager smile on his face.

“Don’t poke me in the eye, Holland.” You said, trying to sound threatening. You sat on the bathroom counter with your legs spread so he could stand between them. You handed him the mascara tube. He had done your mascara a couple times before (because he just really really wanted to try to do your makeup) so you trusted him to do it, for the most part. As long as he didn’t stab you somehow, then you were fine. You sat still while he applied the makeup to your lashes.

“There. Does that look good, wifey?” He stepped back enough for you to turn and look in the mirror. It was even, you had to give him props for that, but it was almost nonexistent. He was still trying to find the happy medium between applying too little and applying too much.

“You did great.” You gave him a quick kiss and hopped off the counter to full face the mirror again. You applied some more mascara on your lashes quickly and he shook his head.

“I’ll get it one day.” He stated, getting out the toothbrush as you laughed lightly at him. Tom grabbed your toothbrush and his, running them under the sink before applying toothpaste to them.

“Thank you,” You smiled as he handed you your toothbrush. 

“Can we get bananas and macadamia nuts too?” Tom asked, half muffled by the toothbrush in his mouth as he stopped brushing. You spit out the toothpaste into the sink, looking at him through the mirror.

“You want me to make banana nut bread again?” You questioned, before continuing to brush your teeth.

“It’s the best.” He nodded.

“Okay, we’ll get the stuff for it.” You reassured him. He pulled out his phone, looking at a text he’d received as you eyed him through the mirror. Even when doing something as simple as brushing his teeth, your boyfriend was just breathtaking and you felt so lucky to have him. He noticed your gaze and pulled a funny face- well, as best he could while brushing his teeth. You laughed and leaned over the sink, spitting out the mixture of toothpaste and saliva in your mouth as you coughed. If it was anyone else beside you, you would’ve been embarrassed by the unattractiveness of the scene, but it was Tom, your loving boyfriend of four years.

“God, you’re making me choke on spit.” You laughed, cleaning off your toothbrush under the faucet.

“Spitters are quitters, babe.” Tom teased you and you playfully elbowed him in the torso, causing him to yelp in surprise. You stepped aside so he could use the sink. After spitting into the sink and rinsing out his mouth, he turned to you with a cheeky grin, “I know, I know. I of all people should know you’re not a spitter.”

“Fuck off.” You rolled your eyes at him, spraying some of your perfume onto your neck. Your collection of perfume sat in the corner of the bathroom counter, right next to Tom’s own collection of cologne- ironically (but it was totally expected actually) he had more.

“By the way, my mum asked if we could host the barbecue here? Apparently my dad forgot their barbecue was broken.” He asked you as he put on cologne.

“Did you forget to tell me that too?”

“No, no, I swear she just now texted me about it.” He insisted, slipping on a watch while you put on some jewelry. The two of you maneuvering through the bathroom easily in your morning routine.

“That’s fine if we host, but that just means you’re helping me clean.” You stated.

“When do I not help you clean?” He smiled at you innocently and you narrowed your eyes at him. You both knew exactly how much he helped you clean. In all honesty, he would genuinely help you clean for a solid hour, but it was around hour 2 of cleaning that turned into a dance party for him, which turned into him distracting you from cleaning. “I can always ask if Harry could host it, but then Harrison would be there.”

“Oh no, definitely can’t handle Harrison showing up.” You sarcastically rolled your eyes. It was a running joke between the three of you that you and Harrison were competing for Tom’s attention. Harrison was like a brother to you, and there really wasn’t any competition going on, but it was still funny to joke about. “Your mum probably invited him already.”

“She probably did.” He laughed. He shoved off the numerous pillows on his side of the bed, except for the one he actually sleeps on at the head of the bed, “Do we really need that many pillows?”

“They’re comfy!” You insisted, pulling up the bottom sheet on your side as he mirrored your actions across the bed.

“I’m your pillow, you don’t even use them.”

“You’re not wrong, but we’re keeping them.” You smiled while the two of you finished making the bed.

After you two went to the grocery store (and Tom just about dropped most of the groceries while unloading them because he was carrying like ten bags between his two hands since “multiple trips are for the weak, love”), he put away the groceries while you started the laundry. While it wasn’t something his family would actually see when they came later, it’d been piling up for days and you just really needed it to get done.

“What do you want to listen to?” Tom asked as you came back into the kitchen. He sat perched on the kitchen counter with his phone in hand, small bluetooth stereo sitting beside him. Just as you opened your mouth to suggest an artist, he cut you off with a grin, “No One Direction.”

“Shawn Mendes then?” You teased, stepping between his legs.

“Nope.” He shook his head.

“Why’d you ask me then, hubby?” You laughed, taking his phone from his hands and stepping away from him.

“Hey, that’s mine!” He jumped off the counter, trying to grab his phone back.

“Too late.” You smiled as the familiar opening to “Steal My Girl” played over the speakers. You queued a few more random songs on his Spotify and handed his phone back over to him, “Now, you’re on vacuum duty.”

“You said ‘duty’.” He giggled like a schoolboy.

“Thomas,” You sighed. 

“You lined that one up for me!” He gave you a quick kiss. You shook your head at your crazy boyfriend as he wandered off to the closet where you kept the vacuum.

“Everybody wanna steal my girl, everybody wanna take her heart away,” Tom shouted along to the chorus from the other room. “Couple billion in the whole wide world, find another one ‘cause she belongs to me!”

You sang along to the song while you worked on the cake. Once it was in the oven, you started on cutting the array of vegetables for the salad. You weren’t far into the process of washing and cutting the different vegetables before Tom came into the kitchen vacuum in hand.

“Do I get some?” He asked, spying the cucumber you were currently cutting up. He walked over to you, mouth open wide wanting a slice. You gave him a piece of the cucumber and he hummed in content. He cracked open the oven slightly to smell the cake baking in there, “Damn, I should wife you up, you’re great in the kitchen.”

“Uhuh,” You laughed at his comment. While you two called each other wifey/hubby and make “wife me up” jokes, neither of you really were ready for marriage and neither of you felt any pressure to get married. “I left the beaters out for you.”

Tom smiled as he grabbed one of the chocolate covered beaters, licking it like a little kid with a lollipop. The song changed to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and your boyfriend wiggled his eyebrows at you.

“Don’t go breaking my heart,” He started singing into the beater (that had been mostly licked clean by that nice tongue of his), nodding at you encouragingly to keep singing.

“I couldn’t if I tried,” You sang back, unable to hide your smile at his antics.

“Oh honey, if I get restless,”

“Baby, you’re not that kind”

He set the beater aside to take your hands in his, pulling you in to dance with him. Your little impromptu dancing and singing party ended when the song changed and you pulled him back to the reality that was cleaning. While Tom finished vacuuming the house and cleaning the tables outside, you completed the salad and cake and cleaned the kitchen.

“Wanna watch something until my parents show up?” Tom asked you from his spot on the couch in the living room as you began to move the laundry.

“Sure, just fold these.” You said, walking into the living room. He frowned, hoping he was done with household chores. Seeing his reaction, you emptied the laundry basket of clean clothes on him.

“Hey, I’m layin’ here!” He did in his best overdramatic New Yorker impression.

“Fold the laundry, Dustin Hoffman.” You shook your head at him before leaving to finish moving the laundry around. You called back to him from the other room, “When is your family coming?”

“About twenty minutes?” Tom replied, checking his phone quickly to look at the time.

“Did you see if Haz was coming?” You asked, coming back into the room to help him fold the clothes.

“Why? You wanna see Haz that desperately?” He joked.

“Oh obviously. What’s the point of moving in with you if I can’t show off to Haz that I’m winning?” You teased. Tom threw a sock at you, shaking his head with a laugh. 

“Yeah, Harry said he’s coming. We’ve got an even number for football now.” He smiled, ready to play against his brothers.

“I’m so going to kick your ass after what happened last time.” You stated.

“Darling, you know that was an accident.” Tom insisted, still feeling a bit guilty about the incident. Last time you were playing football with him, his brothers, and Harrison, he accidentally kicked the ball in your face while you were even on the same team. Luckily, there was no mark, but Tom was even clingier than usual as he felt incredibly guilty about it. It occurred a month ago and you were ready for payback.

“I’m just teasing.” You smiled, leaning over the pile of laundry to give him a kiss. The two of you worked silently on finishing up folding the clothes until Tom’s eyes landed on your lacy black underwear, cheekily smiling at you while he held it up.

“Your boyfriend must be so lucky to see you in this.”

“Oh those? Didn’t buy ‘em for him.” You teased, taking the underwear from his hands and putting it aside. Tom’s hands grabbed your waist and he pulled you into his lap.

“I’m so lucky to have you. You’re my favorite person.” He said as you rested your forehead against his.

“You’re my favorite person, too.” Your hands rested at the back of his neck as you leaned in to kiss him. With your fingers scratching the nape of his neck lightly as they played with his hair there and his hands bringing you even more tightly against him, you two started to get caught up in the moment; nothing lustful, just passionate and romantic. You broke the kiss, your nose resting against his as you looked into his eyes, both of you a bit breathless.

You jumped hearing the doorbell ring. His family was here, and that meant the laundry needed to be off the couch and hidden in your room. As Tom went to answer the door, you hurried to move the laundry to your room, quickly folding the last few articles of clothing.

“Smells clean in here, must be Y/N.” Sam teased his older brother as he walked into the house with Tessa at his feet. He held a container of the freshly baked bread while his parents and Paddy came in behind him, bringing in the uncooked main course. Tom rolled his eyes at Sam’s comment, leaning down to give Tessa some well deserved love. You had lived with Tom for almost two years now, and his brothers still loved to poke fun at how organized and well-decorated his house is. Harry and Harrison trailed shortly after them, holding a ball for later and a case of beer as their contribution for the evening. You came out of the bedroom, having put the laundry away enough for now, and greeted your second family.

“Were we interrupting something?” Harrison snickered, spotting the underwear you had accidentally left on the couch.

“It’s laundry day. Get your head out of the gutter.” Tom quickly grabbed the offending undergarment and haphazardly threw it in your room before closing the door.

“Gross.” Harry gagged.

“So no sitting on the couch.” Sam laughed.

“Don’t sit anywhere then if you’re so concerned.” You smacked your boyfriend for his teasing comment that wasn’t completely untrue. Though you loved the Hollands and they loved you, you still weren’t comfortable with the sex jokes in front of his parents, that’s just never a good topic.

“Sam, that bread smells heavenly.” You told him, effectively changing the topic.

“Thank you. I tried a new recipe to make the artichoke dip to go with it.” He explained as you all moved out of the house to the outside table. He set the container of the table and opened it up so you could see (and smell even more) the bread.

You got wrapped up in a conversation with Sam and Nikki as you pet Tessa, who sat happily at your feet. Tom and his dad got the barbecue together while the other three boys started to kick around the ball on the grass.

“Wanna be on my team, wifey?” Tom asked you, walking up behind your chair and resting his head on your shoulder, letting his hands fall to your lap.

“Hell no, I told you I was getting payback.” You replied, making Sam laugh while his older brother pouted.

“Pwease?” He grabbed your hands in his, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“Too late, she’s on my team.” Sam piped up, despite the fact that teams hadn’t even been discussed yet.

“We’re stealing your girl.” Harry said, kicking the ball over to Tom. You unwrapped yourself from Tom’s arms to stand up as his pout grew bigger.

“Aw, you’re breaking his heart. Does this mean I’m the favorite now?” Harrison asked with a hopeful smile. 

“Only if we win.” Tom stated, picking up the ball and walking over to the far side of the yard with Harrison and Paddy.

“So that’s a no.” You smiled at Harrison. Tom set the ball between the two teams, in the middle of the two ‘goalposts’ (a.k.a. the cones Tom set up on either side of the yard months ago).

The game began and Harrison was doing his best to block you from getting the ball (and keeping Tom from getting distracted by you). The Hollands were, of course, getting a bit more physical than regular football, kicking each other and shoving a bit, as brothers do. The game was 2-0 with you and the twins winning. When Paddy passed the ball to Harrison, you managed to swipe it from him. You sent it over to Sam and Tom basically slide tackled his brother to get it.

“That’s a foul!” You shouted as Sam landed on the grass with a soft ‘thud’.

“Nope!” Tom exclaimed, kicking the ball through Harry’s legs and into the goal. He cheered with Harrison and Paddy while you helped up Sam, who was fine and used to the physicalness of it all. This time, you started off with the ball and Harrison tried to steal it back, but you were too fast in swiftly kicking it to Harry, who Paddy was trying to block.

“Elbow him!” Tom called out, running about in front of Sam to block him.

“Tom,” Nikki said in a warning tone when he started to push Sam back a bit.

“I need to win!” He replied. Harry passed the ball back to you and you dribbled it down the makeshift field.

“Go away!” Sam shoved his older brother, trying to get him out of the way.

“Fine!” Tom huffed, running over to you. Harrison took it as a sign to go block the open twin.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” You asked your boyfriend as he attempted to kick the ball out from your feet, but your movements were too quick for him. You nutmegged him, sending the ball straight through his legs to Harry. Your perfect pass was defeated by Paddy stealing the ball from him. Before you could move to block him, Tom picked you up and threw you over his shoulder.

“Go Pads!” He cheered, holding your waist as you kicked your feet in the air.

“Tom, put me down! This is cheating!” You shouted. You felt Tom’s hand shift subtly more to your butt than your hip, making you slap his back. With you caught up with Tom, Paddy scored the goal easily.

“Hey, now, no inappropriate touching in front of the Padster.” Harry teased, seeing his brother’s hand placement.

“Shove off!” Paddy threw the ball over to his curly haired brother.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tom chuckled, setting you down.

“You’re going to regret that.” You told him, before Harry kicked the ball to signal the game was back on. Knowing his distraction would most likely not work again, Tom switched places with Harrison, going back to beating up Sam.

“Food will be done in two minutes.” Dom announced and you all knew that meant this was the speed round. The stakes were high with both teams tied. After a few minutes of Tom basically playing keep away when he finally got the ball, he kicked it over to Paddy. Harry elbowed his brother and sent the ball to you. Not even stopping it to gain control, you kicked it straight at their open goal.

It would’ve gone in and you would’ve won if Tom hadn’t jumped in the way to save it.

“Ah, fuck!” He shouted, grabbing himself while the rest of the boys grimaced and laughed. Even you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing a little at his mistake. Seeing an opportunity to make a goal with everyone paused, Sam kicked the ball in and he and Harry cheered- you won.

“Baby, you alright?” You asked, going over to Tom who was still bent over in pain.

“God, you really were going for payback.” He groaned, but nodded that he was okay.

“We won!” Sam and Harry cheered as everyone sat down around the table with Dom serving up the food.

“I’m sorry you got in the way of my glorious kick.” You told Tom, holding his hand in yours.

“Yeah, it was a really good kick.” He winced a little.

Dinner and dessert with the Hollands + Harrison (the honorary Holland) went on without any more injuries (unless you count Harry shoving a piece of cake in Paddy’s face as a joke). Goodbyes went all around as they left later, and Tom did the rest of the dishes while you cleaned outside.

“You feeling better?” You wrapped your arms around his waist from behind, once you finished outside. He stopped his work at the sink.

“Better. I thought you broke it for a few minutes there.” Tom laughed, washing his hands and drying them before turning around in your arms.

“Oh no, we wouldn’t want that.” You teased, “I’d have to go find another dick until it healed.”

“Is that all I am to you? A dick appointment?” He asked with a small laugh, pulling you in closer to him by your waist.

“No, you’re my favorite person in the world.” You smiled at him tenderly as he ran a hand through your hair and rested it on your cheek.

“You’re my favorite person, too.” He leaned down to give you a soft kiss.

The romantic, sweet moment was cut short by his next teasing comment, “You know, that kick was really great. I’m still impressed. You really know your way around balls.”

“Shut up and kiss me, hubby.”

[kozumekenza]

on my mind :: three

:: suna rintarou x f!reader :: playlist :: masterlist ::

:: taglist: open :: wc: 2.0k ::

After a drunken one-night stand with your ex, you thought you could get him out of your life for good. Unfortunately, the two of you can’t seem to keep away from each other. Why can’t you leave each other alone? And more importantly, why is he still on your mind?

tw: alcohol, profanity, talk of sex, gets a little bit nsfw at the end (heavy kissing)

author’s note: I officially have an update schedule and final chapter count for this! It will update on tues/thurs at 6pm pdt, with a final chapter count of eight. I’m also planning on writing a few bonus chapters that are nsfw to add a bit to the story, but they won’t be a “necessary” read and will also be able to be read as one-shots. Thank you everyone for reading and for all of the support so far! 

After the disaster that was your phone call with Osamu (the audacity of Miya Atsumu), the rest of your day went smoothly. You met the rest of the players (you were thrilled to see Aran) and went home at the end of the day, feeling pretty good about your new job. If everything between you and Suna stayed a secret, then everything would be fine. 

Unfortunately, you forgot to account for the fact that you were surrounded by a bunch of men (boys, in your opinion) in their twenties, who thought more with a certain appendage on their lower halves than they did with their brains. This convenient fact was made apparent on Wednesday afternoon, during a routine stretching break. 

You were hovering around Atsumu, Aran, and Suna, working on Aran’s shoulder with one earbud in, humming along to some pop song with the other ear not-so-subtly listening in to the boys’ conversation. 

Suna sat his water bottle down and turned towards Aran. “Dude, I had the best and worst fucking night on Saturday. I told ‘Tsumu already, but d’ya wanna hear?”

You kept your head down, focusing on your task while praying that Aran would say no. Apparently, Atsumu had kept his promise and didn’t tell anyone but his twin brother, because Aran nodded his head. You internally cringed, sneaking a glance at Atsumu out of the corner of your eye. The smug bastard had a grin on his face and even had the nerve to look at you and fucking wink. He was lucky that you were already willing to keep this a secret at all costs, or else you would’ve slapped that look off of his face. 

“Alright, so I went out Saturday night to get drunk before practices started, and I met this sexy chick at the bar. I don’t remember much, ‘cause I was fucking wasted, but I took her back to my place.”

Aran held his fist up for a fist bump. “Score, dude!”

Suna rolled his eyes, “Yeah, that’s what I thought at first too. Except I woke up the next morning, and she was gone. Left her bra and skirt at my place, but get this, she stole my fucking National Team jersey!”

Atsumu was uncharacteristically quiet, but Aran filled the silence with a “Damn, bro.” You winced at Suna’s storytelling, yet internally thanked the universe that he didn’t remember that it was you.

“Yeah, the managers are gonna kill me when I ask for a new one. It’s all good though, ‘cause I’m pretty sure the sex was fucking amazing.”

You couldn’t help the choking sound that left your throat and the coughing that followed. Suna handed you his water bottle as you sat down, a concerned look on his face. Meanwhile, Atsumu was fucking laughing. You greedily drank from the bottle, shooting Atsumu a glare. 

After thanking Suna and handing the bottle back, you walked over to the bench to prepare for the second half of afternoon practice. You did not want to stick around them for any longer and listen to any more of Suna’s narrative. 

A large arm slung itself across your shoulders, and you threw an elbow back without looking. Atsumu clutched his ribs and winced as you turned around, seething.

“I can’t fucking believe you, Miya Atsumu. First you wink, then you laugh?”

He stood back up, grinning. “It’s not my fault that it’s so funny.”

“Miya Atsumu! My failure of a love life is not funny.”

“So you admit that he’s a part of your love life?”

“Shut the fuck up, Miya.”

---

Luckily, there was no repeat of the events that occurred Wednesday, at least that you heard. You steadily avoided Suna, not wanting to hear him talk about the “hot chick that stole his jersey” again. Your avoidance plan worked fine, until he began seeking you out. He started stopping by your office when you weren’t there. Iwaizumi always relayed the message to you when you passed him, mentioning the “tall middle blocker that keeps looking for you”. It wasn’t until Friday, when Suna somehow injured his ankle, that you had a moment alone with him. As you worked on wrapping his ankle up, he surveyed your office.

“I’m surprised you still have any photos with me.”

His words made you pause your work, following his eyes to the framed photo on your desk. It was a photo of you, Suna, Aran, and the twins, taken just a week before you left with no warning. “Why?”

“Well I know we didn’t end things on the best of terms. I thought you would’ve destroyed anything to do with me by now.”

You hummed thoughtfully and resumed your work. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

He looked at you quizzically. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m an athletic trainer for a volleyball team because of you, Suna.” You watched his knitted brows. “When I fell in love with you, I also fell in love with volleyball. It was the only piece of our relationship I allowed myself to keep when I left.”

He looked at you as if he was seeing you for the first time. “I never realized.”

“That was my intention.”

He sat back once again and allowed you to finish the wrap. “All done. You know the treatment plan; be careful, ice it, rest often. Let me know if it keeps bothering you.”

Suna stood up, testing the wrap. “Thank you, y/n. It feels better already.”

You gave him a small smile.  “You’re welcome, Suna.”

He walked towards the door, but stopped before opening it. “You know, I was serious about my offer the other day,” he turned to face you, “If you’re free tonight, we should grab drinks.”

You carefully considered his offer. You did miss having Suna around, and it couldn’t hurt to reconnect. There didn’t have to be anything romantic about it, you could just get a friend back. On the other hand, the last time you drank with Suna, you ended up in his bed. However, if you exercised a little self-control, you were sure it would be fine.

“I’m free tonight.”

He smiled. “Great. Send me your address, I’ll pick you up at eight.”

You watched the door shut behind him as he left. This was either going to be the best or worst decision you ever made. 

---

It was the worst decision. It was 7:30, and you still hadn’t figured out what to wear. What were you supposed to wear when you went to a bar with your ex-boyfriend turned (maybe?) friend, who you accidentally slept with last week? You texted Yachi, but you knew Friday nights were her date nights with her girlfriend, Kiyoko. Still, you prayed that she would answer and prayed even more that Kiyoko was with her. Kiyoko always knew what to wear. 

Your prayers were answered when you received a text approving an outfit you had sent only a few minutes ago. Thank God for Yachi and her friendship. You quickly redressed and finished your makeup before the doorbell rang. You threw on a pair of heels and opened the door to find Suna on the other side, a shy smile on his face. 

“Hey, y/n. You look really nice.”

You grinned at him as you shut your door and locked it. “You do too.” It wasn’t a lie; Suna looked amazing. You had forgotten how well he dressed, as you were always seeing him in practice clothes. He wore slim-fit gray jeans with a loose black button-up. You could see a gold chain peeking out from where the top was unbuttoned, and if you weren’t so dedicated to not sleeping with him again, you would have jumped him right there in the hallway. 

You walked side by side to the same bar you had met in last week (although you didn’t mention this), catching up with each other. He talked about his experience on his pro team and how he felt when he received the letter from the National Team, while you told him about your college experience and moving to Tokyo by yourself. It felt nice, normal even, to be able to simply talk with Suna. It was something neither of you were very good at when you were together, and it was refreshing to know that the two of you could simply chat with one another now. 

The two of you sat at the bar near the dance floor when you arrived. You sipped on a martini and listened to Suna talk about everything that you had missed in the eight years you had been apart. You had expected your conversations to be awkward, but they flowed naturally and never stopped. Before you knew it, you were on your fourth drink and all of your self-control had been thrown out the window.

“C’mon, Suna, I wanna dance.” You grabbed his wrist in an effort to pull him off of his barstool and onto the dance floor with you.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, y/n? You’ve had quite a bit to drink.”

“Of course I’m sure!”

Suna began to stand. “Okay, I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret.”

You turned to look back up at him. “How could I regret any of this?”

He looked shocked at your words, but before he could formulate a response, you were pulling him to the center of the dance floor and reaching for a shot from one of the waitresses. 

“Drink with me, Sunarin!” You didn’t know what switch had flipped in your brain (yes you did, it was the alcohol), but suddenly, all you wanted was for Suna to get drunk and ignore the rest of the world with you. He obliged you and took a shot, not even grimacing at the taste of straight liquor. 

You began to jump around in time to the pulsing beat, Suna watching you, but not dancing. You allowed him to simply watch with dark eyes until you were both on your third shot, and then you had enough.

“Sunarin, I wanna dance with you.” You gave him your best puppy dog eyes, even sticking your bottom lip out for good measure. Drunk you had no shame, whatsoever. He seemed hesitant, but you grabbed his hands and placed them on your hips, pushing your chest flush with his. You wrapped your hands around the back of his neck and played with the ends of his hair. 

“I missed you.” The words fell unbidden from your lips, and although there was some part of your brain that told you that you were making a big mistake, you ignored it and listened to your heart. “I really missed you, Sunarin.”

You looked up at Suna through your eyelashes and felt his breath catch. “You don’t call me Rintarou anymore.” His eyes were filled with longing and sadness, and you looked away so that you wouldn’t drown in them. 

“Formalities, I guess.” The emotion in his eyes disappeared and he hummed, grabbing both of you another shot. After setting the glasses down, his hands found their way back to your hips. You didn’t want his eyes to look blank like this, but you didn’t like the sadness either. You wanted Suna to be happy, you wanted him to want you. So you threw all caution to the wind.

You pulled his head down towards you until your lips were only centimeters apart and whispered to him.

“I want you, Rintarou.”

He pressed his lips to yours in a scorching kiss while pulling your hips closer. You grinded on him to the beat of the song while trying to keep up with his passionate kisses. It was a mix of tongue and teeth, full of enough longing to make up for the eight years you had been separated. 

He began to kiss down your neck, pausing long enough at your ear to whisper a proposition.

“D’ya wanna go back to my place?”

You considered it for a millisecond. You knew, in the back of your mind, that this was exactly what you were scared was going to happen. You also knew that you wanted this more than anything else. 

You nodded your head, and Suna entwined his hand with yours and pulled you out onto the streets of Tokyo.

taglist: @sunasexual @call-me-lulu @ntimacy @circleglasses​ @porcolie​ @keikotaro

[mmvalentine]

The Bargain Pt 4 | Feysand

Modern AU. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Feyre’s last session was on a Thursday evening, Rhys’ last appointment of the day. And she was running very late.

Feyre rushed down the street, trying to scrape her hair back into some semblance of presentability, and narrowly dodged bowling an old man over in the street. She skidded to a halt outside the tattoo shop, spared just one glance at her reflection in the glass and then swept in. Despite noticing with horror the dark circles under her eyes.

She stood in the doorway, and watched Rhys look up from where he was sitting and sketching, probably startled by the clanging she was making by bursting through the door like this. She just hoped she wasn’t too late.

“I’m so sorry,” she said to him, still panting slightly. “I know I’m unacceptably late. Do you still have time to finish my tattoo?” Rhys put down his pen. "Of course," he said. "Are you okay?" "Yeah," Feyre said, looking away and self-consciously tugging on her dishevelled shirt. "I... got caught up at home, I'm really sorry." "That's okay," Rhys said. "Come on in."

They set up like usual, and soon Rhys was putting the finishing touches on Feyre's arm. She lay there and stared at the ceiling, Tamlin’s latest temper tantrum reeling through her head and still pounding in her ears. And this time, she barely felt the needles at all. She could hear the machines buzzing but the pain seemed very, very far away.

In all honesty, she was glad of a little pain today. Morbid as it may seem, her insides were churning so hard, the sharp physical sensation actually made more sense than the hurt and confusion that she felt every time Tamlin lost his cool. How strange, that being tattooed today seemed like just what she needed.

So she let Rhys finish the shading around her wrist, add dot work, and highlight in white, and just lay quietly. Better than opening her mouth and letting Rhys see what a mess she really was.

But Rhys seemed to notice anyway. He kept glancing up at her, as if waiting for her to resume their usual chatter. After about half an hour, he spoke.

"You know I'm really glad you're here," he said. "All day I've been tattooing this guy who just won't stop singing." It took a moment to filter through, but Feyre had to admit she was intrigued. Rhys went on, speaking quickly as if trying to fill the silence.

"Yeah, he's carrying on and on and even giving tips to Mor- she's one of the artists here, who's in a band. So he's telling her all these things about performing and vocals. Thing is, he's absolutely shite."

Feyre looked at him. Was Rhys… babbling?

"I had to make sure I talked to him the whole time, because if I stopped talking he started singing." Feyre snorted and Rhys smiled to himself.

"So here I am, trying to concentrate and tattoo as fast as I can, and trying to come up with lengthy topics of conversation before one of the guys comes over to murder me." "What did you talk about?" Feyre asked him. "Jellyfish," Rhys told her. "Jellyfish?!" "Yeah I've been listening to podcasts about ocean life and it's all I could think of at the time." "Okay," Feyre said. "Hit me with some jellyfish facts."

"Did you know," Rhys said, "that there is a species of jellyfish that never dies. It's got two life stages, sort of like you know insects have a larval stage, but it just shifts back and forth from one to the other indefinitely." "So it's immortal?" "Yeah, basically. Another species can glom onto each other and form a mega jellyfish, where like there will be a mouth jelly and an excretion jelly and all that but they're just one big jelly now." "Woah like hivemind jellyfish?" "Sure, except jellyfish don't have brains." "That's crazy." "Uh huh."

Rhys let Feyre ponder jellyfish facts while he went back up her arm checking for bits he had missed. Found a spot that would be shaded darker, and started on that bit. The needle bit into her skin with a whine.

"Hey," he said tentatively. "Are you okay?"

Feyre sighed inwardly, and wished fervently that she was the kind of girl that could make a guy laugh, and not worry.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she answered. "I'm so sorry I was late today. Looks like everyone else has pretty much packed up for the day and you're staying late because of me." Indeed the last artist had left the space ten minutes ago, and they were now alone.

"Well, actually," Rhys said, "I'm just about done here. Just have to finish up this bit... and we're finished." He sat up straight, put the machine down and wiped her down. Then he stretched in his seat while Feyre stared at her arm, turning it this way and that. A whorl of night sky and dreaming stared back at her, and for a moment she forgot Tamlin altogether.

"Rhys," she said, "this is incredible. Thank you so much. I…I love it." Loved the way it looked on her, actually. She had never been particularly fond of her own body, and couldn’t stop staring down at herself.

"You're very welcome. If you want, you can go look in the mirror and see then whole effect before I wrap you up."

So Feyre slid off the bench and skipped over to the full length mirror by the wall, and Rhys chuckled as he started packing his area down. She took in her reflection, this time bypassing her tired face completely and just seeing the ink in her skin. She had had the tattoo for months now, but it hadn't prepared her for what the finished product would look like. It looked like... like herself.

When she came back, Rhys wrapped her arm she paid the remainder owing. And then all that was left to do was leave. Go home. To Tamlin.

She stood on the spot, with one ankle turned out and her bottom lip between her teeth. Rhys paused.

"You don't want to go home, do you?" he asked her. And she looked up at him, and his searching, violet eyes, and couldn’t lie to him. She shook her head.

Rhys nodded. Looked around the empty studio, and then said, "Okay. Well I'll need another twenty minutes to finishing break down, and then I will tell you the rest of the jellyfish facts I know before you go. Deal?"

Relief slid into her veins. "Deal."

So she sat a stool in the corner of the studio while Rhys pottered about, putting things away and sanitising his station. Then when he was done, he pulled up another stool and sat opposite her, and told her everything he knew about scyphozoa while she picked through his sharpies and drew pictures in the blank spaces on his left forearm. It was only fair, she had said, since he had inked hers. He even had her sign the work, just below the heel of his palm.

"I'll get it tattooed," he said, "and then when you're world-famous I'll be a collectible item." Feyre laughed. "Okay, well then I'll give you a nice artistic autograph so you don't have to have some random girl's name tattooed on you." She scribbled her signature, and Rhys turned his wrist around to read it. "Oh so by artistic you mean illegible," he said. “Wouldn't want to upset any love interests," Feyre said, "I can't fight for shit." Rhys laughed. "Well there's no one to fight, but thanks for your thoughtful consideration."

They smiled at each other for a minute, until Feyre’s heart squeezed painfully and she forced herself to stand. "I should go," she said. Rhys took his markers back, and walked Feyre to the door.

And yet still, she couldn’t quite walk out.

"So, I guess this is it," Feyre said. "Thank you for everything." She lingered. "You know, I still think we could be good friends, you and I."

Rhys put his hands on the top of the door frame and leaned against it. The hard muscles of his triceps and forearms framed his face, and the light from the shop spilled around him.

"I'll make you a bargain Feyre," he said. "When you're getting tattooed you're really vulnerable and it can be easy to latch on to people who make you feel safe. So, give it six months, and if you still want to be my friend, I would love that. Okay?"

Feyre nodded. "Okay."

She turned to go, but before she did, Rhys reached out one last question.

"Feyre?" She turned. "Are you going to be alright?"

And Feyre put on her very best smile, smoothed it over her face like lipstick, and tried to photograph him, there in the doorway, in her mind.

"I'll be alright," she told him. And she waved and walked home.

****

This is based on actual conversations that I had with my tattoo artist recently, and he assures me all of those jellyfish facts are true. Mind blowing stuff.

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST: @ghostlyrose2 @highladysith @stardelia @feysand-loml @tillyrubes10 @ratabrasileira @live-the-fangirl-life @maybekindasortaace @annejulianneh111 @thebonecarver @rowaelinismyotp @loosingdreams @whythefuckdoiexist @inejsarrow @swankii-art-teacher @sjmships @courtofjurdan @teddytdr @positivewitch @thalia-2-rose @darling-archeron @rapunzel1523 @fairchildjace @asteria-of-mars

[insaneasgardian]

Haircut Of Love - Sambucky

Summary: Confessions are made, and lives are changed the day Sam gives Bucky a haircut.

Genre: FLUFF

Warnings: Bucky being slightly sad while thinking of Steve, Bucky thinking that his feelings for Sam are unrequited (they're not), Idiots in love.

A/N: I have actually worked on this for longer than I should've XD A big thank you to @cassiecasyl and @aixabi for being such great friends and helping me out by proofreading, and making suggestions!

He knew he should've stopped Bucky tagging along, but the moment that infamous, "I'm coming with you!" so eagerly left the super soldier's lips, Sam knew it was pointless to persuade him to stay behind.

Not that he really minded, the mission he'd been assigned with was a tough one, and it would've been lonely if Bucky hadn't been so adamant about accompanying him.

Sam stared into the fireplace and focused on the embers as he let his thoughts wander. There were some terrible people to be stuck with in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere, but Bucky certainly wasn't one of them. He was an interesting character for sure, and Sam was sure he still didn't know a whole lot about him, but their relationship had developed all the way from 'a couple of guys' to 'almost best friends'.

"Hey", came the voice of the man Sam had so deeply been thinking of. He turned around with that signature smirk he reserved especially for Bucky, and watched with delight as the White Wolf turned a light pink color, and it wasn't because of the cold.

"I thought you might want to catch a shower, the water's nice and warm" the brunette said, and Sam nodded as he noticed his friend's damp hair from his own shower.

"Man, you need a haircut" Sam remarked, and much to his pleasure elicited a chuckle from Bucky.

"Do I?"

"It has gotten kind of longer..."

"Well, it's not easy to find a hairdresser in the forest"

"I could cut it for you"

The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself, and he didn't miss the way Bucky's widened ever so slightly. Sam internally scolded himself, feeling that he'd made things awkward somehow.

There was a slight pause in the atmosphere, but the ex Winter-Soldier eventually smiled. It was a weak smile, but genuine nonetheless.

"I'd like that," he told his friend, "would you mind?".

Sam shook his head, a bit too enthusiastically, and that made Bucky raise his eyebrows

“I can do it now if you want, so I don’t get your greasy ass hair all over me after I’ve gotten out of the shower”, Sam casually slipped in to look less ecstatic than he really was.

Bucky scoffed and crossed his arms at the statement, but his grin only grew wider.

“So… are you gonna give me something to cut your hair with?” his friend asked him, making a scissor snipping motion with his fingers.

The brunette’s lips tugged downwards into a frown and bit his lip as he often did when pondering. Sam couldn’t help but let his eyes wander to the bottom lip in between those pearly white teeth, but he forced himself to snap out of it.

After a brief moment, Bucky snapped the fingers on his vibranium arm and turned to walk towards the room he was staying in. “Wait there!”, he had instructed Sam, who had no intention of getting up from the comfortable position he was in anyway.

Promptly, Bucky had returned, clutching a pair of scissors that Sam immediately identified as a pair of Captain America themed kiddie scissors he had recently bought for his nephew, AJ. He burst out cackling.

“What’s so funny Samuel?” the White Wolf pouted, plopping next to his friend who was dying of laughter.

“You stole that from AJ didn’t you?” Sam pried, inwardly dancing at the thought that his secret crush would want something with his face on it.

“Psh, no… I permanently borrowed it, that’s all”, Bucky insisted, moving from the couch to sit on the floor in front of Sam’s legs so that the other man would be able to cut his hair with more ease.

“Mhm”, Sam hummed, already weaving a piece of Bucky’s hair between his fingers, and snipping it off, just like that. It seemed easy enough, so he kept on going, chopping bits of hair here and there, trimming the areas which really needed it, and taking care not to overdo the cut and end up making Bucky look bald in certain places. He was doing quite well considering that he was equipped with nothing but a pair of small, blunt kiddie scissors, which Sam was certain professional hairdressers did not use

A lovely period of pure silence fell in between the two men. The only sounds were the scissors delicately doing their job of cutting the brown locks, accompanied by the gentle crackle of the fireplace, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

“Steve used to cut my hair, you know… Used to do it all the time in the 40’s” Bucky said, breaking the silence. Sam froze in his movements, but only for a second. It was rare for this man, who had been through so much to talk about his past like this.

“We’d sit outside on the street in the summer, he’d be on a chair with his scissors and I’d sit down in front of him, punk gave a damn good haircut to be honest”, he continued, and Sam chuckled.

“People would give us dirty looks as they walked by, it wasn’t uncommon for people to think Steve and I were a couple, but it was frowned upon to be in a same-sex relationship back then… sometimes still is of course”, his tone was now sad, as if he wanted to admit something, but was refraining from doing so. Sam stopped what he was doing, and set down the scissors, obviously sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

“Still, Steve and I were just friends, that’s all he’d ever wanted to be anyway”, Bucky finally finished.

Sam got off the couch, and slipped down onto the floor next to the 107 year old. “And what about you? Did you ever want to be more than friends?”

Bucky ran a hand over his face, which donned a neutral expression, “It’s complicated Sam… I’d be into a girl one second and thinking about Steve the next”.

Sam gently nudged Bucky’s shoulder with his own, and gave him a small smile, “Bisexual then?”, he questioned.

The other man nodded, and looked at Sam with a grin now gracing his features, “Yea, but you know what? I forgot all about Steve…” he paused to dart his tongue out his mouth and wet his lips, “The day I met another guy I haven’t been able to stop thinking about”.

Sam’s world shattered the moment those words left Bucky’s lips. The thought that the man he had pined after for so long was yearning for another made him want to burst into tears right there. However, Sam Wilson was not the kind of man to be salty over the choices of others. So he kept on the smile he had been wearing the entire time his heart broke over and over again. Yet, he had been so absorbed in his own mind that he failed to notice the longing glances Bucky was shooting at him, the ones he had been giving Sam ever since he first met him.

“Happy you could get that sorted out for you man!” He said brightly, patting Bucky’s back and climbing back onto the couch to resume the haircut.

The ex winter soldier was dumbfounded. Had Sam not noticed how he felt? What if he had? What if he didn’t appreciate the advances?

There was stillness once more, but this time it was incredibly awkward. The two sat absorbed in the silence, no longer so focused on their own thoughts, but on every movement and action the other did.

“All done,” Sam finally said, and gestured towards the large wall mirror in the living room. Bucky looked into it, and nodded.

“You’ve done a nice job, thanks”, he mumbled.

“No problem” Sam told him, getting up from the couch. “I’m going to go take a shower now”, and with that, he rose and climbed the stairs to get to the bathroom. The footsteps faded away and when Bucky heard the bathroom lock click shut, he leaned his back against the couch with a sigh. He ran a tired hand over his face.

What had he done wrong? He’d watched all the movies, read all the books and listened to all the music Sam had suggested. He’d come to see Sam’s family as his own, he cherished Sarah, AJ and Cas with all his heart.

Hell, he’d even taken dating advice from Zemo…. Maybe that’s where he’d gone wrong.

Bucky wasn’t sure. He may have lost the charm he had back in the 40’s, but Sam had always accepted him for who he was. He never questioned Bucky’s past, or forced him to be more social and open. That’s the reason Bucky developed more than platonic feelings towards him. He was so easy to be around.

However, the white wolf figured that if Sam didn’t want anything to do with him romantically, the least he could do was to maintain the relationship status they had now. Not to mention, he had the perfect way to do that.

Mac and cheese. Sam’s favorite food.

A grin grew on his face as he scrambled to the kitchen. It was a tasty and easy thing to cook and would be done before Sam even got out of the shower. Bucky proceeded to locate all the necessary ingredients they had brought to the cabin, and got straight to work.

It wasn’t a difficult job at all. With his swift speed, and his mind set only on the task before him, he was done within minutes. He even managed to get two servings plated beautifully, and just in time too, because as he finished setting the table, Sam descended the stairs and made his way into the kitchen. A smile was drawn on his face at the smell of the meal, and all the previous tension seemed to have dissipated.

“Smells good in here!” he exclaimed, his eyes then landed on the beautifully presented plates of mac and cheese. He gasped and clapped his hands like an excited child, and Bucky couldn’t help but laugh. He thought it was adorable.

“Alright, alright, take a seat Sammy,” Bucky said, gesturing to the bar stools next to the kitchen island which the food rested on.

Both of them rushed to sit down and dig into their dinner. Bucky watched his friends expression as he took the first bite of his food.

Sam’s eyes closed in pure bliss, as his taste buds thanked him. “Buck, this is heaven in my mouth, tastes even better than what Sarah makes”.

Bucky blushed, but quickly tried to hide it with a chuckle, “Sarah’s my teacher, I owe it to her”.

Sam nodded at the statement, but commented no more on the topic. Instead, he took another bite and made eye contact with Bucky. “So… who’s this guy you’ve been crushing on?” he inquired.

Bucky was taken aback by the question, he blinked rapidly, “huh?” he mumbled, earning an eye roll from Sam.

“Listen man, I’ve never pressured you to tell me anything before, but we can’t pretend like that conversation didn’t happen” Sam said gently, setting his cutlery down, and reaching a hand over to place it on Bucky’s vibranium one.

The brunette gulped, closed his eyes, and took two deep breaths. He’d have to get it out. Or else it would slowly kill him to watch Sam find someone else. Even if his feelings were unrequited, the man had a right to know.

“It’s you” he said quietly before he could chicken out.

Sam slowly blinked, and shook his head, “Sorry, repeat that?”.

Bucky groaned and looked up from his plate which he’d been staring at the entire time. He gazed into Sam’s doe brown eyes with his own piercing blue ones, “It’s you! You’re the guy I’ve been crushing on!” he agitatedly replied.

Once more, there was that silence that seemed to be consuming the two of them so much lately. Bucky wanted to cry, to hide the humiliation. He was certain that Sam’s lack of words meant he didn’t feel the same, because Sam always had something to say.

“Forget it,” Bucky choked out, getting up from his seat, but Sam’s hand tightened its grip on his wrist, stopping him from getting away. The super soldier turned around slowly, trying not to make eye contact with Sam so that he wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes.

Then, all of a sudden, Sam rose from his seat and his lips met Bucky’s in what was a tender, loving kiss which shocked the latter, but he readily returned it. They stayed like that for a while, embracing each other as their arms snaked their way around each other's torsos. It was a moment neither of them wanted to break, but were forced to. Eventually, when they pulled apart gasping for air, they looked at each other in surprise, but merriment. Wide beams adorned both of their gorgeous faces, and their eyes glinted with excitement.

“So…” Bucky began, “you were desperate to get a piece of me, why, is it the new hair?” he said teasingly.

“The next time I give you a haircut, it’s gonna be turned into a mullet”, Sam threatened, making the other man raise his hands in surrender.

The mac and cheese was long forgotten as they clutched each other once again. Their hearts were bubbling and overflowing with love for one another, and it was not a love that was going to fizzle and die out. They fit perfectly in each other’s arms, like it’s where they belonged.

Two men, who had their own individual problems denying them a place to be truly content in the world, had finally found their refuge in each other.

Finit

[kaebedom-me]

Hello, it's my birthday today and i wanted to do a little self indulgent thing for me 👉🏻👈🏻

Sorry if it's not very reader friendly and stuff but please enjoy this Kaeya x reader hc thing that's semi related to the Golden Apple Archipelago event

tags: kaeya x reader, gender neutral reader, fluff, n/sfw at the end? a little bit, ~2.7k words, establishing relationship - platonic kaeya x reader at the start, kinda canon divergence, bday hcs, VERY self indulgent, it's a little long, not proof read

it's not often you have to visit the knights of favonius headquarters, but you happened to have to bring something for Jean

so when you turned up at hq you fully expected to see Jean in her office and not a very sad, very pouty and tired looking Kaeya slumped on the table

"quartermaster, I wasn't expecting to see you here, is the acting grandmaster ill?" you asked

he perked up at your voice, the sulking dissipated, Kaeya was acting as if you didn't just see him glaring at the pile of paperwork next to him

"actually, I'm currently the acting grandmaster," he said with a playful smirk that you adored. "do you have something for me?"

it was for Jean personally, so you'd hang onto it, you told him. you asked him what was he doing here and he pouted at you, dropping the acting grandmaster act

you've been friends with Kaeya pouty quite like this before, so you relish it as he explains to you the mysterious letter Klee got and how Jean and the others are accompanying her somewhere in some mysterious archipelago

you weren't too sure how to react, you hoped they were safe, and you hoped Kaeya would feel better soon

"I feel a lot better now that you've visited me, though," he teased, smiling at you a little cockily

you tried not to show how affected you were, you coughed. "I wasn't planning to visit you, you just happened to be here"

you couldn't stay long, though. you had prior plans, and a new plan popped up while you were talking to Kaeya. you left him to his own devices an hour later

he didn't walk you out like he usually does but you didn't mind

after clearing up what you could for the day and contacting the necessary people, you got yourself a room in Mond

the next day, at around the same time you visited the acting grandmaster again

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid the acting grandmaster Jean wouldn't be back so soon"

Kaeya was only a little bit shocked to see you opening the door to his temporary office again, you just smiled

"I know, I was looking for acting grandmaster Kaeya"

you didn't like how miserable he looked when you first saw him in the office, nor did you like the strained smile as he bid you goodbye. no matter how hard he tried to hide it while entertaining you, you saw through it and wanted to do everything in your power to cheer him up

he teased you, of course, the entire time you were there but you didn't mind. you saw the lively glint in his eye when you moved to come in

"did you need anything, acting grandmaster? documents delivered to your subordinates? lunch? simple requests from the people?" you offered

"my, playing errand are we? nothing else on your agenda?"

you were so genuine with your "no" it took Kaeya slightly aback. he could guess what you've done to be here again today, and it touched him just a little

"could you help me retrieve some of these files from my office then?" he asked, you happily agreed before walking out of the office. Kaeya smiled at your retrieving figure, his free hand came up to cover it

and so you stayed, playing assistant until Kaeya packed up for the night. you even took him out for dinner just to make sure he was eating and taking care of himself outside of the office

he was very grateful for you and your help, wanted to spend more time with you even but you always ushered him home so he could get the rest he needed. as Kaeya's falling asleep, he'd think about how to properly thank you

you weren't always free though, some days you brought in your own letters and paperwork to his office. there the two of you would work in silence. every now and then you'd offer to help Kaeya out, he appreciated it but kept it to a minimum, since he wanted you to get your things done too

afternoons where the two of you worked together, were the most productive ones. And whenever you made longer trips for him, he'd made sure to get more work done than his usual pace just so you'd praise him and smile at him fondly

one afternoon, you came in a little bit later than usual. Kaeya was a bit disappointed, he caught himself waiting for you like some puppy. he tried not to sulk for too long though, he still had work to do and work he'd like to catch up on so Jean wouldn't have as much work piled up

when you came in you were trying to be stealthy about it, Kaeya noticed it immediately though. his excitement was easy to hide with a judging look

you smiled at him sheepishly, you offered a small apology. "I brought cake,"

his eye lit up, an easy teasing response flowed from his lips. you're so easy to tease and so adorable when you try to hide how flustered you were

the cake wasn't too big, something the two of you can share and finish without feeling sick. Kaeya knows when something is or isn't expensive and he happened to have heard from Lisa that these cakes were exquisite and very popular in Fontaine

"what's the special occasion?" he asked when you cut him a second slice

"nothing, I just wanted to have cake," your reply came a little too fast as if you prepared the answer before he even asked

he hummed. he couldn't look at your whole face since he opted to sit next to you when you set the cake box down on the meeting table. you busied yourself with cutting another slice for yourself, scooping up the crumble that adorned the cake that fell off

"I thought it'd be nice to treat you to something nice, for all the work you've done and how hard you've been working the past few days," you tried again, feeling how much he was staring at you

"is that so?" Kaeya racking his brain for a possible ulterior motive, he absent-mindedly scooped up the crumble from his cake and plopped them onto your plate. "this is a very special treat then, cake all the way from Fontaine..." he trailed off

you could feel your cheeks heating up. your gaze snapped up to meet his. Kaeya was smiling at you fondly, not how he would when he was trying to get information out of people, you think maybe this smile works better than the other one

ah, there's really no hiding from this man

"I- uh, um... well, it's- um," you couldn't stop stuttering, suddenly nervous now that he saw through you, you had to avert your gaze

Kaeya tried again. "I heard from Lisa these were popular in Fontaine, it must've been a hassle to bring them here, in a short time too, I imagine"

"It wasn't a hassle," you reassured, eyes suddenly serious when you met his. Kaeya blinked, surprised at your reaction, he wasn't expecting that but he had enough control over himself to not show it. instead, he smiled some more, encouraging you to continue

"it's, um, my uh..." you averted his gaze. Kaeya didn't have to hear the rest of the sentence to know what you were talking about. "..it's my birthday today," you said quietly

this time, he couldn't stop himself from looking shocked. "ah, but uh- I didn't want it to be that special! I just thought we'd have cake before resuming work," you stumbled after a beat of silence. you didn't dare look at him, you really wanted to avoid telling him, since you didn't want to distract him too much

the sound of the chair gently scraping on the floor, you shyly turned to look at Kaeya who looked like a kicked puppy. before you could reassure him, he apologised. "I am so sorry I forgot"

"n-no! it's fine! it's not a big deal," you reassured, waving your hand as if you were trying to wave away his worry

"I'll make it up to you"

"no! I'm having a wonderful time!"

"but-"

"Kaeya, please, I just wanted to spend the afternoon with you, I'm really happy like this"

Kaeya didn't doubt you. you did look very happy while you were digging into the cake. but it didn't stop his brain from working in overdrive to figure out ways he could make your day better. you averted your gaze again, probably still embarrassed that you were hiding this from him

"can I do anything to make it more wonderful then?" he asked once he regained composure

he smiled when you scooted in your chair so you were facing away more from him, a habit you had when you were trying to be subtle with hiding your face from him

"I just wanted to spend some time with you," you muttered. "the fact that I got the few days from before and right now- this is easily one of my best birthdays,"

Kaeya was mindful to push the cake and the plates aside so he could lean on the table to try to peak at your face. he so badly wanted to see how you looked like when he said "would you like me to hold your hand?"

"what? no!!"

the more you tried to lean away, the more Kaeya came into your personal space. he has been suspicious of your behaviour around him for a while now; he likes to think he knows a good deal about reading people, and that he also has a good grasp of one of his closest friends

and for so long he's been hinting at how he feels about you but you never seemed to pick it up despite how smart you are

maybe there isn't a better time than now to tell you straight up

"why not?" he was so close if you moved you'd bump right into him. "you enjoy holding hands, no?"

"we can't!" you still weren't looking at Kaeya, but you knew he had that stupid cocky face on his face. you didn't know he was looking at you with so much affection it's almost disgusting "because!"

Kaeya moved his chair closer to you, humming to encourage you to continue your sentence "because?"

"because, if we did, i'd want to hold it more often."

you thought now is a good time as ever. if Kaeya didn't reciprocate your feelings then you could just never come back. and you'd be left with the memories from the past few days, that'd be enough for you

you held your breath while you waited for Kaeya to respond. he leaned back a little and you tried not to look hurt when you had to turn back to look at him. before you could though Kaeya chuckled

"I'm sure we can arrange that."

you were wondering what he meant by that. shyly you glanced at him from your peripheral. he was smiling in a way that you hadn't quite seen before, a soft one, full of affection and admiration for what you hope was for you

"um," was all you could muster, finding yourself dumbstruck by the sheer beauty of the man that never quite leaves your head

Kaeya glances at his hand and moves it closer to yours. his smile was more inviting now, things were starting to click in your head. so you reached for his

Kaeya doesn't comment on how flustered you must look, nor does he say anything about the way your hand slightly trembles from nervousness when reaching for his

when you placed your hands in his, he immediately curled his finger around your hand, squeezing it tightly

he tugs you closer to him. "do you want me to kiss you?"

you felt like you were about to combust from looking at him, you were so dazzled by this side of you him you wanted to cry

your voice didn't want to cooperate, you could only nod a yes to his question. Kaeya didn't say anything about it, didn't tease you like expected. he just leaned into your space again to press a kiss into your lips

it was a very tender kiss, you could feel the curves of Kaeya's smile on yours. prompting a smile to tug on the corner of your lips too

when he pulled away, you immediately dragged him back for more. your free hand going up to his neck, while his settled cupping your warm cheek. you couldn't help but giggle

Kaeya's hand that was holding yours squeezed yours again before he mischievously bit at your bottom lip

Kaeya could be so sweet. you squeezed his hand back and slowly opened your mouth as he leaned back a little to tilt your head

his tongue tasted like cream, so you thought maybe yours did too. Kaeya pecked the corner of your lips before moving back in to swipe at your own tongue. you leaned onto his hand and let him lead you. his hand that held yours never once tried to leave yours

this time, when Kaeya pulled away you chased after him unconsciously. he chuckled at how dazed you looked from a simple kiss. his thumb gently caressed your hand while he waited for you to get your senses back

and you were positively adorable when you started to become embarrassed again. before you could pull yourself away from him though, he brought up your hand to kiss your knuckle

"K-Kaeya, I um-"

"mm? not enough? did you want to touch my chest, too?"

you scoffed when his stupid cocky smirk start to form on his face, but you couldn't help but smile back though, squeezing his hand as tightly as you can. "you're ridiculous"

there's a billion ways Kaeya could've responded, he decided to lean in for another kiss instead

kisses quickly turned to a make out session

you remember pulling away once to tease him about the work he was supposed to do

he scoffed. "you'd rather have your fancy cake and watch me suffer than have me making you moan at the slightest flick of my tongue?"

you'd slap him if it weren't for the way that your limbs felt like jelly and that damn hand that held yours tightly. you cursed at the way you shivered

you did end up sleeping with Kaeya that afternoon, right on the table you put your cake on

(Kaeya was careful not to knock it onto the floor)

your intertwined fingers only untagling every once in a while when Kaeya had to use both his hand to manoeuvre or take off your guy's clothes

you had wanted to taste more of him but he insisted that this moment was about you

(when you pouted at him, cheeks flushed and body shimmering from the sweat from your first orgasm, Kaeya promised you'll get your turn if you'd follow him home)

you had to take a nap if you wanted to follow him home, Kaeya was kind enough to drape your jacket over you when the two of you were done

"stay," you mumbled tiredly

"I'm not going anywhere, darling, I still have so much work to do because somebody kept insisting on distracting me"

he said that but once he was done cleaning up, he came to pick you up and brought you over to his desk. you got comfy on his lap and breathed him in

occasionally, Kaeya would rub circles on your back and lean down to kiss the crown of your head. soon enough, you drifted off to sleep in his embrace while he continued his paperwork

the next morning you woke up in Kaeya's room, you made your way back to your room before heading off to hq

the person who greeted you in the office wasn't Kaeya but Lisa

"oh dear, you must be looking for Captain Kaeya," she offered kindly. "he left on urgent business"

you nodded and smiled. "no worries"

Lisa offered you some tea, you politely declined. instead, you passed her the parcel that was originally intended for Jean. looks like it was back to business as usual

Lisa looked delighted when you handed it to her before you left she handed you a letter. "Kaeya told me to hand it to you when you drop in"

you thank her and retreated back to your room. you had other things you pushed off until now so you decided it was best that you returned to your life too

not before writing a letter back and slipping it into Kaeya's apartment though

[andraaste]

I am not your enemy - Lance fanfiction Part 11

I wish you a very good reading 💕

Chapter 11 : Let me take care of you

Facing the ocean stretching out as far as the eye could see right in front of me, I inhaled several long gulps of air, noticing inattention that night began to slowly fall across the sky. Many sounds of wings beating the sky reached my ears and very soon, several draflayels began to flutter all around me. Passing close to my head, I felt my hair fly with each passage of one of the animals on my blanks. Nearly twenty of them gathered at the edge of the cliff, flying in harmony, creating dance-like forms of which only they had the secret. The spectacle that the familiars offered me was perfectly bewitching, I could not take my eyes off this almost intimate moment that they let me share with them.

Some then approached me and began to push me slightly in the direction of their circle. Feeling their pressure on my back increase, I decided to let myself be carried away and enter their twirling cocoon. Their songs, akin to small melodious sounds, mingled together with the regular movement of their wings, thus forming a perfectly studied pattern. It was as if they were trying to tell me something.

Closing my eyes, I let my dangling arms let themselves be carried away by their foreign yet soothing sounds. Probably feeling my fears fly away and my soul calm down, they slowed their pace until they came to focus in mine. My hair flew gently all around my face as I could feel their movements hugging mine. I didn't know how long had passed before their dancing ceased. Opening my eyelids, I watched them resume a more anarchic position to finally move away from the ledge, until I flew over the bluish expanse that adorned the horizon. Eyes lost in the dark, I with a dreamy hand withdrew a lock whose course had been stopped by my lips.

I took a few steps back when I crashed into a large figure standing directly behind me, making me jump in amazement. I turned my head to observe my interlocutor, his white hair contrasting with the surrounding darkness.

Lance gently put his hands on each of my arms, his chest hugging my back.

- It���s only me...

The softness of his voice, at that moment, troubled me, and so positioned against him, I felt strangely good, almost safe. His gaze was deep, no trace of the fog that usually darkened him was present. The blush rose to my cheeks without my being able to control it. I turned my eyes away from his, piercing like blades of ice, to focus again on the horizon.

- You are probably not the Chosen of the Oracle for nothing, he said in a tone so low that no one else could have heard but me, of which I did not discern the slightest trace of irony. The draflayels seemed to be trying to communicate with you.

His jaws clenched slightly at the utterance of those familiars the dragon harbored such hatred for, but for once he remained perfectly calm all the same. His hands caressed my arms for a few seconds before sliding down to let go, letting me turn to observe him.

Without my understanding why, no fear was hovering in my heart at that moment despite the presence of my executioner. It was insane, but yet I felt that something strange was happening between us. His gaze ogled me, troubled me. Our bodies were shown to be improbably drawn to each other. My heart pounded as he slid a lazy hand down my cheek, stroking me with his fingertips.

Lance then leaned towards me with suffocating slowness, bringing his full lips intimately to the edge of mine. Totally hypnotized by each of his gestures, I couldn’t take my gaze from the source of my desire, it inexorably approaching me. So, no longer aware of anything, only letting myself be guided by this attraction for too long silent, I closed my eyes as his mouth almost brushed mine, caressing me with his fresh breath.

His hand moved down the slope of my neck until it stopped just above my chest. I felt a smile cut his face as he put more pressure against my rib cage. Unexpectedly violent, the ground suddenly disappeared from under my feet and my body fell into the void. The fear came over me with such force that all my muscles contracted at the same time, causing a sharp pain to explode in my back, causing my head to spin at full speed. With anguish in my stomach, I watched the tar-black water stretch out its deadly arms to me.

My cry stuck in my throat.

Under the amused gaze of my predator.

I jumped up, this time managing to scream so loudly my dry throat burned. Not being able to breathe properly, I grabbed my head frantically and thrust my hands through my hair, pulling out the handles. Cold sweat beaded all over my body, pressing my t-shirt against my skin as my breathing panicked dangerously. Each of my breaths gave me a sly pain in the middle of my back, accentuating the panic that gradually took over me.

I started to cry, maybe loudly, I didn't know anything about it, thus preventing myself a little more from regaining my air. I relived my fall, over and over, until the force of the water hit me next. I felt it all around me, entering my lungs, dragging me into its abysmal depths. I saw his cold gaze penetrate me again, savoring with relish the spectacle before him, of which he alone was responsible. I felt the fear. The treason. My memories mingled with my nightmare, rendering me unable to disentangle the present moment from my subconscious.

How could Lance have done this to me ?

The door to my room swung open, letting in a large familiar figure before closing the door behind it with a thud. Only a few long strides brought it to the foot of my bed but I didn't pay attention, far too lost in the panic that took hold of my thoughts. Forcing into my field of vision, two hands grabbed mine and pulled them gently from my abused scalp, forcing me to lift my head. My tears increased tenfold at the sight of the traitor of my dreams. I tried to push him away in vain, his fingers tightening around my feverish wrists.

- Leave me, Lance ! I tried to cry, drowned in my flood of tears.

His blue eyes, alert and filled with concern, never left me for a second.

- Stop saying bullshit, he said calmly, not moving a millimeter despite my protests.

Releasing one of my wrists, he slipped a hand against my neck and kept my head firmly pointed towards him, preventing me from looking away from his.

- Calm down Andraste, you had a bad dream.

My tears continued to flow down my cheeks, wetting his thumb in their path.

- Why did you do that ? I asked him, my tone heavy with reproach. Why did you hurt me so much ? Why...

I couldn't continue my sentence, my mouth was shaking so badly that I almost made my lip bleed. For several nights, I had been assailed by the nightmares of my past life, waking up more and more often in these states of madness. I felt like I was losing my mind.

Realizing that I was referring to his actions of seven years ago, the dragon clenched his jaws tightly, his gaze fixed on mine and his hands still holding me firmly.

- Listen to me Andraste and let me speak until the end, he began. I can never redeem myself for everything I have done to you and the Guard, you will never forget it and you must not. But know one thing, whether you like it or not, I will do anything to protect you and try to heal your pain. My actions are unforgivable and I don't want anyone to do it, especially not you. So okay, you'll probably always continue to hate me, but that's the price I have to pay for everything I've done to you.

Lance paused briefly, never diminishing his attention from my face. I was so focused on his words that I forgot everything else, my breathing slowly settling on its own.

- You cannot know how much I dreaded your waking up. Hear your voice again, meet your gaze again after everything I've done to you...

His voice broke slightly over the last few sentences. Guilt was gnawing at him more than I could have imagined, even several years later. My throat tightened again but this time not just because of my dream. His words upset me deep inside me.

- So please Andraste, let me take care of you, he said imploringly, his hand sliding up to my wet cheek, creating a slight tingling on my skin.

Looking through his usually frozen gaze, I saw nothing but guilt. It was one of those remorse that never leaves you, of those that wake you up in the middle of the night, hold you so tight, until you never let go.

Lance dragged his past and his actions like a ball hanging from his ankle.

Letting my gaze still wet on him, despite the darkness I discerned a thick white mark that marked his neck. Seeming to come from the back of his neck, it contrasted sharply against his dark skin, drawing my eyes without discretion.

I realized that it was the first time that I had seen him without a piece of clothing that hid the back of his neck, his simple black top no longer camouflaging it.

Looking up, I caught his gaze on me. The dragon had obviously understood what my attention had drifted onto, but he said nothing about it. He seemed apprehensive for any response from me.

But what could I say to him ? I was angry with him down to the smallest part of my soul ! I wanted him to pay for his actions, and yet...

Still, I wished much more vigorously that he hugged me until everything disappeared. Let him kiss me until nothing more reaches us.

Without worrying about the consequences.

Echoing my dream and my silent impulses, which at first were nothing more than the reminiscence of an old memory, I wrapped my arms around his neck whose skin was much rougher where I had believed to guess a bulky mark, and brought urgently his lips to mine.

My unexpected and unreasonable gesture surprised him at first, my heart skipping several beats in anticipation of his reaction, but quickly, Lance responded to my kiss alarmingly, fiercely responding to the assault of my mouth. His hands suddenly framed my cheeks so that they tilted my face, allowing his tongue to find its way to mine, sickly deepening our shameful embrace. Relieved not to be pushed back, I exhaled against his lips, my breath akin to a moan drowning in the strength of his embrace. Tonight, I felt more than ever the need to cut myself off from the flow of my troubled thoughts. I think we were both aware of the madness of our gesture, but its saving power seemed to be vital to us at this moment.

His hands slid down my sides until he lifted my top. Separating us for a short moment, I raised my arms as he pulled the fabric over my shoulders, sending it flying into a corner of the room. Then putting his arms behind his neck, he tugged at the collar of his and quickly sent it in the direction of the first. Our lips found each other without difficulty, sharing the same uncontrollable thirst. In the adrenaline rush of the moment, I could feel his scales manifesting in places as totally exhilarating currents of energy seemed to run between us.

It was gross. Precipitate.

I thrust my hands casually through his hair as he lifted me up to sit astride him, his feet firmly inked to the floor. Caressing my hips, he meticulously kissed my bare chest, savoring every inch, giving rise to goosebumps on my skin with each trace of his licks. His applied discovery of my body made my head spin, I could feel his desire for me pulsing against the inner thighs. No longer holding it, I pulled his hair with some force to orient his face in the direction of mine. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips as he hugged me tightly.

- Do you know that dragons are impulsive in nature ? he whispered against my ear. You shouldn't be playing the most bossy game between us... although I have to admit that you are really, really sexy like that.

I smile in turn as I let my hand run between us, running down the line of his abs to the waistband of his black pants. A low growl escaped his throat as my fingers slipped under the fabric that separated us.

- I don't know dragons well yet, you might need to explain that to me in more detail...

In response, he clapped his hands under my buttocks and lifted me effortlessly to come and lay me down on the bed. I couldn't help but wince in spite of myself at the contact of the mattress against my back, a throbbing pain suddenly seizing me.

Unfortunately, Lance noticed this and immediately stopped his gestures.

- Are you in pain somewhere?

- It's nothing... I lied, trying to find his lips to silence him, but he stopped my momentum and pulled away from me.

- I can see that something is wrong, show me your back, he said in a tone that left no time to reply, straightening up at the same time.

Lying half naked, I huffed loudly as I sat up on the bed, curling up before deftly hugging the sheets to my chest. With my back to him, I allowed him to turn on the dim light on my nightstand, clenching my fists in apprehension. I waited several long seconds in a leaden silence, doubt starting to rise in me at his sudden silence. The dragon crouched behind me before gently letting his fingers run over the thin skin in the center of my back.

I couldn't help but clench my jaws in pain at his unbelievably soft touch.

- Andraste...

- Is that repulsive ? I cut him off, my voice trembling slightly.

I dared not meet his gaze so much shame consumed me. I knew very well what it was and it was probably not good...

- Since when do your wings try to come out ?

- Approximately since our training, I don’t know exactly... but you didn’t answer my question.

Lance sat down next to me before grabbing his fingers on my chin, forcing me to stop avoiding his icy gaze, my tongue loosening in spite of myself.

- I dream that I fall, I began. Again and again. And when that happens... I think my body is trying to call on my wings to save me. But I can’t.

- Since when does it hurt you ?

- About a week, but the pain is more and more present...

His grave expression made my stomach turn, what was wrong with me ?

- Did you see what your back looked like ? he inquired.

- During the first nightmares, yes. They resolved themselves, there were no traces. But now... I don't dare look anymore, Lance.

The dragon slowly let go of my face, casually resting his hand on my lap.

- My angel, you absolutely have to show this to Eweleïn.

(Chapter 12)